Itsumademo Naito
by ShadowSpirits
Summary: *Chapter 20 Loaded!* Taken back to the ancient past of Egypt, the separated group find different problems slowly, but in the present time...what is to become of Joey and his sister, let alone everyone else? (Yaoi: Multiple pairings.. YY/YB Mainly.)
1. Aguriimento

I love the title of this story! Itsumademo Naito! Forever Night, so I believe, honestly I don't have the best Japanese skill, maybe it's Night Forever, for all I know. Why can't we have it in school as a language? Sucks...so I'm stuck with Spanish....but that's off subject! I actually don't know the plot yet, but it'll be yaoi: Yami/Bakura (Ryou is normal Bakura in this), but the pairing won't be known for awhile, just hints here and there, ok? So um...Let's get the ball rolling!  
  
First chapter confusing....arguments all around, lots of talking, and many different scenes with the characters.  
  
Warnings: Language (Yami Malik mainly, lol), yaoi (if you couldn't figure that out yet), maybe some violence at some point, probably from Yami Malik, again, lol.   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh at all....though how it would be "fun" if I did....  
  
Slight info that will be needed at SOME point:  
/Yugi to Yami/  
//Yami to Yugi//  
{Ryou to Bakura}  
[Bakura to Ryou]  
*Malik to Yami Malik*  
~*Yami Malik to Malik*~  
Ryou is normal Bakura  
Yami Malik will start being called by Marik towards the end of the chapter, it will be pointed out.  
All the hikaris MOST of the time call their darker halves "Yami", but Yami Yugi will always be known as Yami anyway.  
  
"I was left to cry there, waiting outside there, grinning with a lost stare, that's when I decided...Why should I care? 'Cause you weren't there, when I was scare, I was so alone." -Avril Lavigne: Losing Grip  
  
******  
"This is all your fault!"  
  
"My fault?! How the hell do you always manage to blame everything on me?!"  
  
"Because it's always YOUR fault!"  
  
"Damn you, Yami! I told you! I didn't cause this mess! So stop being your bastardly Pharaoh self and leave me be!"  
  
"I'll prove you did this tomb-robber!"  
  
"I can't wait to see!" Bakura growled in anger, the crisp night air biting against his cheeks as he turned his back rapidly and walked away from the enraged former Pharaoh. Yami cursed in anger and looked into the sky, watching as two or three stars vanished from view.   
  
"All his fault."  
  
And he turned, walking away as well.  
  
******   
"Ryou....why do we have to stay here...?" A voice spoke out softly in a semi-large room, windowless and only one lamp in the middle of a table, yet of course, the lamp was not on.  
  
"Because all the *Egyptians* told us it was safer, Yugi."  
  
"It's stupid though! What? Do they think a coyote will come out and eat us?"  
  
"Actually, remember what the news said last week?"  
  
"I didn't read the news."  
  
"Yugi......never mind, you missed my point," Ryou sighed from the corner he leaned against, the two were locked within the room by Yami and Bakura, no matter how much the other two were arguing now, they agreed to keep the hikaris out of it. The silver-haired cringed at hearing something crash against a wall and whispered out, slightly frightened. "Yugi, really, you don't have to go berserk, I'm sure we'll be out soon.."  
  
"Ryou....that....wasn't.....me...."  
  
******  
"Why?! Why did Yami have to torment me! Ok, so I'm annoying! But why did I have to be paired with YOU!?"  
  
"Calm down, puppy."  
  
"Kaiba! Leave me the hell ALONE!"  
  
Sitting on the roof of Kaiba Corp were two boys, one known as Joey Wheeler, sister of Serenity, and the other Seto Kaiba, older brother to Mokuba. Both were NOT happy being where they were, stuck on a roof to monitor the night.   
  
"I don't think I can, it's too much fun driving you out of your petite sized brain."  
  
Joey growled at the comment and missed Kaiba's smug look, though it was easy for the blonde to decipher what the person behind him was thinking: Growls like the dog he is. At the thought, Joey yelled out into the dark, night air. "WHY YAMI?!"  
  
******  
"I don't get it...what is going on..." The former Pharaoh muttered to himself, calmer then he was earlier. He chuckled at himself as he walked blindly down a sidewalk, "Interesting, I separate everyone in pairs and tell them not to leave your partner no matter what, and look here! I already have been ditched by mine. Kuso....my fault anyway..." He grumbled and folded his arms over his torso. "But the accuse still stands."  
  
"Gee, and I figured I could come out of the shadows after you admitted something was your fault, but now that you still believe I did this whole darkness thing, I don't think I will."  
  
Yami immediately stopped walking, spinning around to find where the source of the voice came from, unable to find where the tomb-robber was hiding until a lighten up glow from the ring showed Bakura leaning against a tree. Unlike Ryou's normal sweater outfit, Bakura doused himself in a blue and white striped shirt, a greenish-blue cloth jacket over it and blue jeans, smug look across his pale face.  
  
"How long have you been following me?!"  
  
"Hm...let's see...." He held up a few fingers that both knew meant absolutely nothing. Bakura set them back down, assuming his normal position and chuckling. "You said not to leave the person you were paired with no matter what."  
  
"And you actually listened...?" Yami voice dropped to anger to astonishment.  
  
"Don't make a deal of it, Pharaoh, I don't like this any more then you do."  
  
"You seriously didn't cast whatever spell this is...?"  
  
"Like hell I didn't! You think I'm that powerful?!"  
  
"Good point...."  
  
"Wha- DAMN YOU!"  
  
"What else is new..." Yami grumbled, turning away and staring into the sky. His gaze focused onto a stare that faded away into blackness slowly and sighed staring at the ground. "I don't know what to do....how can I stop this....I don't know...."  
  
******  
"Yugi.....there's.....something....else....in here....."  
  
"You think I couldn't figure that out?!"  
  
/Yami! Something else is in the room!/  
  
//Aibou, don't be crazy, there are no windows and the door was locked, there is nothing in there.//  
  
/But Ya-/  
  
//Aibou please, I'm trying to figure out what is going on but you are seriously not helping my aching mind...//  
  
Yugi silenced himself and sighed. "Yami basically ignored my mental plea, have you tried your dark half...?"  
  
"Ha! Bakura? He wouldn't listen, let alone I doubt I could break through his barrier," Ryou chuckled slightly, then remembered their situation. "So...what do we d-" His voice stopped, hearing a squeak of a shoe and a very soft curse. "Alright, w-who's there....?"  
  
"No one."  
  
Yugi and Ryou froze at the new voice.   
  
"You idiot shut your trap!"   
  
A loud smack rang through the dark air and another soft curse, followed by the sound of something bumping into the table. Yugi stood up quickly and fumbled to the table, snapping the switch of the lamp on that rested on the table, falling backwards at two near identical figures before him.   
  
"Uhh....hi?"  
  
"Malik?!" Ryou yelled without thinking, standing up still by his corner and looking at the two forms.   
  
"Hi."  
  
"And the yami..." Yugi added.  
  
"How did you two get in here.....?"  
  
"Magic," the yami murmured, slapping his light upside the back of his head. "Why couldn't you just sit still?! Then we wouldn't have been caught!"  
  
"Um...sorry Yami?"  
  
"Sorry my ass..."  
  
"Hey, hey, can we just cool it here? Why are you two here..?" Ryou asked, holding his hands up as a defense towards Malik, the yami turned away with crossed arms.   
  
"Well, see, we had a kind of....mishap in the streets...something jumped out on me...." Malik held up a recently scared arm. "And, well, needed somewhere to quickly go to, and uh, just kind of....sensed your Millennium Items and.....well it was the nearest place so we just-"  
  
"Dammit! STOP rambling!"   
  
Malik flinched as his yami's fist headed through the air towards the younger boy, that is until Yugi and Ryou held back his arm. "LET ME GO!"  
  
"Calm down!" Ryou yelled, holding his grasp as hard as he could.  
  
"Yami please, just relax, I'm done, I'm DONE!"  
  
/Hey Yami, I found what was in the room./  
  
//Yugi....// Yami replied in an almost scolding tone.  
  
/Yami! Malik and his yami are here!/  
  
//WHAT?!//  
  
******  
Yami jolted upright from his position from leaning against a tree, catching Bakura's attention. The other sat within the branches of the tree, annoyed that he should have stayed out in the shadows. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"  
  
"Malik....and his yami....are with Yugi and Ryou...."  
  
"Point?"  
  
Yami glared up at Bakura who shrugged. "What, it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, I can't figure why you're so tense over it. It's not like the two blonde's are on a death raid now, hm?"  
  
//Yugi, are they trying to kill you?//  
  
/What? No, actually Malik's yami had a deck of cards and is teaching us poker.../  
  
Yami faltered and sighed, walking into the middle of the street and looking down at his digital watch Yugi had given him a month or so ago. "Eleven forty.....have twenty minutes until we meet up at Kaiba Corp again, if Kaiba and Joey are still alive." He whispered to no one in particular, though he knew Bakura (who was now a foot or so behind him) had heard. Something else sounded in Yami's ears though and he heard an agonizing scream, turning around quickly with widened eyes. "BAKURA!"  
  
******  
"Seventeen minutes until the others show..." Kaiba muttered, leaning against a wall in the lobby of his building. Him and Joey were the only occupants, and they had the lights on very dim, just the ever so slight amount needed to see around.   
  
"Oh goody....then we can listen to Yami ramble more..."  
  
"Better then me rambling."  
  
"Un."  
  
"You weren't supposed to agree with that!"  
  
Joey was hardly able to swerve his head very slightly, the book that Kaiba had thrown from across the lobby floor at Joey, hitting the wall the blonde was on with a thunk. It seemed to hover a moment in place before sinking to hit besides Joey who sighed in contempt that the book didn't hit him. "I won't miss again, blonde."  
  
Joey gulped and remained silent, his inner mind praying for the others to hurry back soon, he wanted to stay alive, darkness or none.  
  
******  
Yami kneeled besides the other dark half, who was sprawled against the ground, panting rigidly with blood leaving his skin and engulfing his shirt. "What happened..!?"  
  
"Hound..." Was all the yami could reply with. The former Pharaoh glanced up, in time to see a form dart away on for legs. It had misjudged Bakura, thinking the tomb-robber was a fine piece of animal meat, something to sooth its hungering taste buds. But it turned out Bakura wasn't good enough to eat.  
  
"A coyote..." Yami mouthed before drawling his attention to look down over at the slumped and now fainted other. He sighed and scooped Bakura into his arms and swung him over his shoulder, before heading towards the location of Kaiba Corp, connecting with his hikari along the way.  
  
//Aibou, we're heading back to meet up with the others, do you want to be transferred through the puzzle when we get there or now?//  
  
/When you get there, please./  
  
//Alright, aibou.//  
  
/Is Bakura ok...? Ryou started to panic at one point..../  
  
Yami rotated his gaze slightly to look at Bakura who still was sling over the former Pharaoh's shoulder. He shook his head slightly, the only "lit" building in the entire place of Domino City coming into his view. //Bakura fainted from lack of blood.//  
  
/Lack of blood?! What happened...?/  
  
//A coyote thought he'd be a good meal, but only injured Bakura's chest to figure he wasn't, hm....tasteful.//  
  
/Yami! That isn't nice, you shouldn't make fun of someone in this condition! Ryou is really worried here, we're transferring over when you're ready./  
  
Yami set Bakura's body on the cement and sighed. //Ready, aibou, just tell Ryou to take over Bakura's form immediately.//  
  
/As good as done./  
  
A glowing from the Millennium Puzzle and Ring didn't even cause Yami to flinch. He focused on the two items and watched as Yugi step from the spirit's shared form, and Ryou taking control over his dark half.  
  
Ryou immediately moved to be very close to Yami. "Why didn't you help him?!"  
  
"I....Ryou, I didn't realize, until he yelled out, it was too late-"  
  
"But you COULD have done SOMETHING!" The silver-haired cried, the empty feeling from his other's soul room making a shiver run down his spine.   
  
"Yes, I could, and that only thing was to get him to Kaiba Corp as fast as possible, now come on," Yami mumbled, brushing past Ryou with his light following in close range. To be honest, he felt guilty for not being able to help...but in no way did he mention it.   
  
The three entered through the glass doors of the building, Kaiba and Joey standing up upon their entry. "Kaiba, we need a first aid kit," Yami stated right away and noted the confused CEO. He sighed slightly and watched as Ryou separated from his darker half, the other laying now half conscious on the floor. "We need one NOW."  
  
Upon seeing the status of Bakura, Kaiba turned on his heels and walked towards the front desk, fishing his hands over the counter and pulling out a box with a red cross on the front and walked back to the others, kneeling besides the wounded one.   
  
"Gee Yami, what did you do to him?" Kaiba muttered   
  
"I didn't do anything," Yami spat sincerely. "It was a coyote."  
  
"Yeah, well, seems like you weren't much help."  
  
"It's not my fault!"  
  
"Hmph."  
  
"Kaiba, please, leave my yami alone," Yugi defended his dark half, holding arms out for a better influence. Kaiba just grunted and tied off Bakura's bandage.  
  
"Gee, why didn't anyone invite us?"  
  
Yami lifted his head to the door, sending a direct glare at Yami Malik and Malik. "I feel so utterly rejected."  
  
"We don't need your help, so why don't you leave before I FORCE you to?" Yami mused, glare never shifting off the two. Yami Malik grunted and shifted his own gaze, his hikari stepping forward in a near desperate attempt.  
  
"Please, we just need somewhere to stay, Yami, this is the only real safe place. We'd go with my sister, but she went to find Shadi, good luck to her on that," he stated hopefully, but though most of what he said was true, the young light's face was easy readable. Yami's translation made more sense: We can handle ourselves, but really, don't leave me alone with my yami, especially with my sister out to find Shadi. Yep. That made perfect sense.  
  
" 'ey come on Yami, even I think I can trust 'em, and I was possessed by da guys," Joey piped in, moving towards the group. "I say let 'em stay."  
  
//Aibou?//  
  
/I trust them enough....I agree with Joey.../  
  
Yami sighed and turned his head back at Bakura, who lay flat on his back, then looked back at the two Ishtars. "Fine. You both can stay. But." He paused, turning to walk over by Bakura and looking back at them. "*Marik*, I believe you can heal your dear friend now, can't you?"  
  
"DON'T call me that name!"   
  
"Hm? Why not, don't you like it?" Yami taunted, arms automatically folding over his torso, a smirk crossing his face. It was always a sport to piss the other off.  
  
"I HATE that bloody name!" He cursed a string of words, causing Yami to chuckle and remind him that Bakura was in need of a good healing. The yami grunted and walked to Bakura, shoving Yami out of the way and placing his palms over the other, saying one thing before starting a spell. "Don't think I'm doing this for you, Pharaoh." He growled and closed his eyes, focusing on the dark magic he learned from Egypt and focusing the powers onto Bakura, they were, after all, both considered Dark Mages, so transferring some energy to the other raider, didn't hurt. Just enough to heal. That's all he gave to Bakura, backing away as the other groaned and stirred.   
  
"Why thank you, Marik."  
  
"Pharaoh, shut the fuck up!" The yami snapped, turning his gaze at Yami, a deadly glare fixated over his tanned features.   
  
"Why would I do that?"  
  
"Damn you bastard!" The blonde charged at Yami, only to be held back by his light and Joey. Kaiba just found a wall to lean against, enjoying the show greatly.   
  
*Yami! Stop it now!*  
  
The former ruler had his own arms tied by two others, Yugi and Ryou.   
  
/Yami! Will you stop provoking him!/  
  
Yami growled and shook the two boys off him, folding his arms back in his normal posture and sighing, closing his eyes and a hand finding his forehead. //Sorry aibou, I don't know what came over me.//  
  
Bakura rolled over to his side, pushing his palms into the ground to sit up, looking around with a half blurred gaze. "How'd I get here...?"  
  
"Thank you greatly for healing my yami, Marik," Ryou spoke up softly, moving to help his darker half stand, supporting him and being surprised that the other didn't refuse the assistance.  
  
"Will all you fuck ass people stop calling me MARIK?!"  
  
"No," five responses, all the same. The dark one sighed in defeat.  
  
"Fine, FINE! Keep the damn name!"  
  
*It's not that bad, Yami...*  
  
~*Shut your mouth, aibou.*~  
  
Malik looked away from his darker half and to the others. "So what're we supposed to do?"  
  
Yami looked up, as if he had just gotten a reminder of why they were all in this building. But his look returned to the floor, as if searching desperately for some kind of answer. The others formed a circle around him, well, technically he was part of the circle as well. Kaiba showed by the way he stared that he didn't want to be here....in a way....he was FORCED here.  
  
***Flashback***  
"Hello?" The CEO snapped, picking up the phone within his house, Mokuba literally on his heels.   
  
"Who is it big brother...?"  
  
"Hush, kiddo," Seto whispered, paying his attention back to the phone. ".... Yes, I do realize that it isn't supposed to look like this outside.....leave the damn company then you wimps!.... The building HAS a generator, you DO realize this, right? ......... Well then find a way to turn it on! ...... I don't know, kick it! ..... That's it! I give up on your petite sized brain, you're fired, happy?! Now leave the damned building like everyone else has!" Kaiba blinked, moving his eyes back to a wide-eyed Mokuba. He hung up the phone and looked over his little brother. "Don't you ever go repeating what I said, ok?"  
  
"Ok, big brother, but what's wrong? Is the sky all dark at Kaiba Corp too?"  
  
"Yeah..." He muttered, looking at his watch. Five-thirty in the evening. He looked out a window....the sky pitch black. "I wish I knew w-" Seto was cut of by the ringing of the phone and told Mokuba to leave the room, making sure the smaller boy was out before picking it up. "What?!"  
  
The other voice came across as deep.  
  
"Yami, why the hell would you be calling MY house?! I am in NO mood WHATSOEVER! ....... What do you mean, you want to use my building?! What?! Alright, fine, fine, use my building for whatever powwow you want to have there, just don't burn it down! ...... Help?! Help with WHAT?! ..... Wait, you mean you're already there?! ..... I should thank Yugi for teaching you SOME manners! Urg! .......... Damn you Yami, I'm not helping you fix whatever happened to the sky. .....Wait a second, that's blackmail! You bastard, leave my brother out of this!" Kaiba clenched a hand onto a nearby wall, veins popping up from their normal resting place. This didn't seem fair. Not at all. Yami didn't seem to be looking to trick him, but bringing up his brother? He said something about whatever the darkness is, could bring danger and find a way of attacking, which could mean no safety for his little brother. Kaiba sighed and twisted the phone in his hands, whispering hopelessly. "I'll come."  
  
***End Flashback***  
  
Everyone else came willingly, but it wasn't hard, Joey always wanted some action and a way to stay away from home, Ryou and Bakura were just plain....easy to make come. And, well, Malik and Marik just....came, uninvited too.  
  
"Well I say we get more people 'ere ta help us, maybe someone else would 'ave a plan, aye?"   
  
Yami snapped a look at Joey. "Hell no! I'm not getting anyone else involved in this mess! Whatever this mess is!"  
  
"It was jus' a suggestion..."   
  
/Yami, relax, he was just trying to help.../  
  
//I know aibou, I know...//  
  
Bakura lifted his head, still leaning on his light for support. An odd feeling swept through his bones, chilling him, yet warming his inner self. His eyes looked around at everyone, seeing that they were all staring at him and he saw why.  
  
His ring was reacting.  
  
In a slow motion, the center tip of the ring lifted, pointing outwards to the doors that lead outside, this caused Yami to raise a brow. "Bakura?"  
  
"I sense.....a Millennium Item....."  
  
******  
  
  
  
THAT WAS LONG! Go me! Eleven pages and 3645 words! How was it? I *know* that none of you understand what is going on, but heck, neither do the characters in the fic. Only I hold the truth! Dun, dun, dunnnnn! Yeah, ok then, next chapter will be out when I type it, maybe by the beginning of next week I'll have it. Don't expect it to be as long as this was, but hey, I'll keep it a decent length, I promise! ^^ Ja, for now. 


	2. Kokako

I got a brainstorm.....the beginning of this chapter is going to start from the Shadow Realm, with the Duel Monsters. For once, I'm giving the Shadow Realm a different sense...its normal black and blue colors, but for now, a forest...trees and a ground....just all like a ghostly hazed kind of look to them....eheh, right, maybe this chapter will be longer then I thought.  
  
Kokako- Realm  
  
Same warnings apply, I'll get back to the real world at some point in this chapter, don't worry.  
  
Not all of the Duel Monsters will have specific names, and even the ones that do will sometimes be called by their normal DM names nevertheless, heh...and some names are so obvious I won't point them out.   
  
Notes on some names:  
  
Magician of Faith: Kaji (Faith)  
Dark Magician: Waizu (Wise)  
Dark Magician Girl: Wahei (Peace)  
Witch of the Black Forest: Kuroi (Black)  
Change of Heart: Yuumei (Dark and Light)  
Mystical Elf: Merodi (Melody)  
Punished Eagle: Tsubasa (Wings)  
  
One last thing, concerning the God Cards. I have no idea about them, except what they look like, what belongs to who, and their stats. Honestly, I think the Obelisk is ugly, but oh well. Bare with me, two of them will be used in the story...I heard that all three together can be part of the way to find the Pharaoh's lost memory, so I'll say Obelisk isn't with Kaiba for some reason, ok? And for the sake of saving myself, they can be summoned without stupid machines, lol.  
  
"Regardless to warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all, nothing's like before." -Simple and Clean: Hikaru Utada   
  
******  
A screech, threatening any ears that may be in the area. And then a cackle, dark and full of an eerie sense. "Come on now Doma, you can go faster then that!"  
  
"Why would I bother?" A second voice, a hiss for the fact.  
  
"Because I don't want to wait around all day!" She laughed, a yellow and orange static forming around her ghostly body, appearing from the darkness, slick green form cloaked over in a maroon shirt and a pointed purple hat to top her off. She cackled mystifyingly, staring over at the angel of silence that stood awkwardly on the ground, snickering every few seconds. "DOMA!"  
  
"Such a worthless ghost."  
  
"What?! How DARE you call me worthless!"  
  
"Fine then, I will kill you instead," the dark angel chuckled, rising her staff up and spreading all four of her wings. Her body darkened, and her staff sparked, laughing again as the Magical Ghost panicked and was shot down, only to deteriorate into nothing after being killed quickly by Doma. "That was too easy..."  
  
***  
"Come, Silver Fang, Waizu is trying to gather as many as he can."  
  
The wolf gave a whimper, staying low to the gray grass, but soon came to realize that the Magician of Faith was walking away towards a cabin without him. Another whimper, and the wolf stood fully, setting in a bound after the spellcaster.   
  
Kaji twisted the door knob to the spell cryptic place, stepping within and waiting for Silver Fang to enter as well, then closing the door with a creak. She gazed around suspiciously, clutching her thin staff close to herself, seeing no one in sight. "Waizu...?"  
  
"HI!"   
  
Kaji jumped back at the voice, Silver Fang getting in a protective stance around the young girl, not sure what to expect. "Oh, sorry! I didn't think you'd scare so easily..." A blonde chuckled, adjusting her blue and pink armored head piece. "My brother said he summoned for others, but I don't see what for, considering he's not even here."  
  
The Magician of Faith sighed, relaxing to know it was only Wahei scaring her, though it didn't make things any better. "Where is your brother then...?"  
  
"I'll show you, come on."  
  
***  
The Dark Magician Girl spoke useless words, nothing truly making sense. It was a gift almost that she was able to find her brother, who was standing over a crystalline colored lake, an ancient book lodged in his arms. "There he is. HEY BRO!" She jumped up and landed besides him, with a chuckle, causing the purple clad magician to raise a brow. "Kaji and Silver Fang, remember the two you summoned are here. Are there any others I need to wait for...?"  
  
"No, everyone except Tsubasa and Celtic are here..." He signaled with a hand, pointing out five others.   
  
"Good, I hate sitting around that stuff place," she made a 'hmph' sort of sound, folding her arms and looking away.  
  
"Manners, my sister."  
  
She sighed in responds, turning away and bounding up into a tree branch to stretch into, arms still folded, nevertheless. "Yes dear brother..."  
  
Kaji raised a brow to the other monsters, setting her hand that did not have the staff down upon Silver Fang's head to scratch over his ears. "Why are we here?"  
  
"To try and solve a problem."   
  
The young spellcaster raised her gaze from Waizu to the form besides him. The Witch of The Black Forest. "Just look into the waters, and you can see."   
  
Kaji nodded and moved away from Silver Fang, kneeling over the lake and looking in, watching the surface change and show the humanoid realm.   
  
"....I don't see any problem....."  
  
"How can you not?" Another voice. Again, Kaji looked back, seeing the Dark Magician had moved away and in his place was the Mystical Elf. "Look at the sky of that realm."  
  
"Yes...I can see the sky, it's black...so what's wrong? It's night there."  
  
"It has been like that for over twenty-four hours."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Exactly....now you see our problem?" The witch spoke up again, closing her eyes as she sighed inwardly. The kneeling magician nodded. "Waizu is trying to find a counter spell, but no one has been able to figure out how the sky got like that in the FIRST place. Until then, it is hopeless."  
  
"You people and your state of depression!" The magician girl snapped, standing up on her branch causing everyone to stare.  
  
"Wahei!"  
  
"Brother! Our master is down there! Remember? We can't just go giving up so easily! For once in my life, I'm ready to do some serious research!"  
  
******  
"What you *mean* you sense a Millennium Item..?" Yami pressed, staring over at Bakura who glared back.  
  
"I mean that I sense a damn item!"  
  
'The ring, the rod, and the puzzle are all here....! What in Ra's name could the ring be picking up..?' Yami sighed in anger, it must be a bluff. No one is around to have a Millennium item, Shadi never comes around, Pegasus is dead and the eye disappeared and Isis....well, she went to find Shadi, so it's obvious it couldn't be her-  
  
The doors opened and a figure stepped in, causing Yami's predictions to subside.  
  
Malik was the first to speak up. "Isis! What are you doing here....? Have you found Shadi...?"  
  
"No.." The Ishtar sighed, walking towards the group. "It's obvious he wishes not to be found, does he realize he is needed here? No, of course not, if he did, he'd be here!" Everyone just stared at the woman, surprised by her use of sarcasm.  
  
"Isis...." Yami began in a questioning tone, stepping forward slightly, but a raised hand from Isis made his stop.  
  
"I have tried what I know you ask my Pharaoh, and failed in some way I do not know."  
  
"What are yas two talking 'bout...?" Joey looked back and forth between Yami and Isis before getting dizzy and sighing.  
  
Isis sighed, lowering her head slightly. "My Millennium Item, the Tauk, give me the ability to see into the near future....but...for some reason, I cannot see the future of now, there is only a white light in my mind, blocking the truth."  
  
Malik stared at his sister in confusion. *How could the Tauk not work...?*  
  
~*Don't bother asking me.*~  
  
What was Malik expecting? A warm hello and an answer? Figures.  
  
Kaiba finally stepped in. "This is all just stupid magic. Why don't we go around with little flashlights shining them into the sky so it gets bright again? It's better then standing around here."   
  
"Kaiba," Yami hissed, "this is a serious matter."  
  
"Who said I wasn't being serious?"   
  
"Jeez Kaiba, you ain't ever a 'elp!"   
  
"Come on you guys....can we just stop arguing.....?"  
  
"Yugi's right, we're never going to get anywhere if everyone continues to bicker on like this..." Ryou added, and again, everyone went silent leaving Yami, Isis, Marik and a still drowsy Bakura to talk.  
  
"We must find Shadi, but he could be anywhere, I could only search the city, I figured he would be here to seek us. I guess not though," Isis explained, shaking her head in annoyance. "His signature is masked, which doesn't help in anyway whatsoever."  
  
"I agree," Yami nodded, folding his arms over his torso and looking to Marik and Bakura for there thoughts.  
  
Marik grunted a yes, and Bakura simply nodded. "Now then, is everyone in this room ok with this? We're going to have to split up, to find Shadi, and while we're at it...the Millennium Eye, I want to know where that damned piece of gold is."  
  
"I used to have it....but now...I don't even remember how I lost it..." Bakura muttered. "But I don't know why I'm agreeing, but I'll do this."  
  
"I'm in too then," Ryou agreed, and Yugi stated as well he would come, the same for Malik.   
  
"You gots me 'ere guys, can't get rid of meh that easily!"   
  
Everyone turned to stare at a glaring Kaiba.  
  
"What about you?"   
  
Seto lifted his gaze to Isis, then back to the floor. "Fine, I'll come. But where are we going exactly...?"  
  
Yami seemed to actually fidget from the question, staring up at the ceiling with a nervous kind of nature. "Well, see, we don't actually know that. We're going to have to split up into groups to well....search....the globe. Shadi can be anywhere he wants to be, and he wants to be somewhere hidden."  
  
"Da whole globe?!" Joey's mouth fell to the floor, but it was of excitement and shock. "Wow! Jeez! This will be the most traveling I've eva' done!"  
  
Yami sighed, ignoring the blonde and counting his fingers to keep track of people. "Yugi, me, Ryou, and Bakura as a group....and Malik, Marik, Isis, Kaiba, and Joey as another....that should work out..." He nodded, deciding it was the right thing to do.   
  
Kaiba just laughed. "And how do you propose we travel? Sorry dear one, but I am NOT using any planes or anything to support this journey or whatever you want to call it!"  
  
"You don't have to."  
  
"Wait a second! So what, we're gonna walk or someting?"   
  
"Joey, I wouldn't doubt Yami..." Ryou merely concluded.  
  
[Gee I would..]  
  
{Yami!}  
  
[What? I'm serious.]  
  
Ryou sighed. His dark half would never get along with Yami.   
  
"Yes, I wouldn't doubt me. I do have a plan, but I say we go up to the roof for me to express it," he explained, moving his hands to herd everyone towards an elevator, growling when Bakura had pushed the close button, leaving him and Marik still on the first floor. "That bastard..." The two yamis would have to wait now, for the elevator to drop them off and return back down.  
  
"I think I know what you're planning, Pharaoh."  
  
"Oh really now?"  
  
Marik sneered and walked up infront of Yami, pulling out a card and holding it up to show Yami. "Gee Marik, you're smarter then I thought you were."  
  
"Baka."  
  
"I've heard that before."  
  
"Don't you think someone's going to notice two massive creatures flying through the sky?!"  
  
Yami stepped into the elevator. "We shall see, I haven't seen the world panicking over this 'forever night' yet, but somehow I think if this is from a spell, the spell is currently preventing them from seeing the truth." The former ruler looked back at Marik still in the lobby, his voice returning to taunt the other. "Are you coming or do you want to wait for the next ride up?"  
  
The doors started closing.  
  
Marik jumped through the small gap, falling into a wall and glaring at Yami. "Fuck you."  
  
******  
The group of teens and spirits stood gathered on the roof, a circle formed again but with Yami and Marik standing in the middle, both clutching a card.   
  
/Yami is that O-/  
  
//Yes, aibou, it is Osiris.//  
  
/But.....why.....?/  
  
Yami ignored his light, holding out the card, his third eye illuminating with a radiation glow, his puzzle forming a gold glow over it, vibrating with energy, forcing a deep red over the card. The former ruler surprised everyone, his voice storming and raising high into the dark sky. "AWAKEN! THE SAINT DRAGON, GOD OF OSIRIS!" It wasn't much of a surprise to see the dragon, they had seen it before after all....but not as flesh and bones, not as the real thing. Joey's mouth hung open, the show wasn't over.  
  
With his back pressed against Yami's, Marik assumed the same position, card out, a deep golden eye taking shape over his forehead, and the Millennium Rod (which was currently attached to Malik's jeans) having a glow surface over it. The yami smirked, feeling an energy roll through his body, echoing off his pores and into the air, activating the card much like Yami's had, yet with a yellow luminosity. "GOD OF SUN DRAGON, RA, AWAKEN BEFORE ME!" The second god card, both creatures of red and gold shimmering with a brilliant look above everyone.  
  
Both yami's energy died down and they stared around at everyone, Yami being the one to talk. "My group, we're traveling with Osiris, Marik's group; Ra."  
  
Recovering from astonishment, the forms nodded, taking nearly fifteen minutes to suit themselves upon the glorious beasts. Once done, Yami, who was sitting on the head of the monster (Bakura besides him), yelled over to the other group. "Isis! I'll cut off towards Egypt to the west and you take east from here, alright?"  
  
"Alright!" She yelled back, looking to her brother for dear help as the dragon was getting restless. Malik just shrugged, feeling as if he were going to fall before entering his soul room, which is just what the other two hikaris had done.  
  
Yami watched the large dragon take to Marik's commanding voice, heading off in the direction Yami had told them to go before glancing back at Bakura. "You ready?"  
  
"Yeah....whatever..." He grumbled, arms folded over his torso, grimacing slightly at a pain still in his chest.  
  
The other took this as a good enough responds, in his ancient tongue calling out to the god to head the opposing direction of Ra.  
  
It had started.  
  
******  
  
  
  
Hm....still a decently long chapter, it didn't take long to type either, but did you expect me to post so soon? Heheh, suuurree I would. So we got kind of three stories in one, we have the Shadow Realm with the duel monsters, Yami's group, and Marik's group (Isis really is the leader but Marik can control the dragon). Glorious fun, and the hunt for Shadi begins! I love where he is going to be found.... 


	3. Amazora

Amazora- threatening sky  
  
That's what this story is about, ne? Well I know that at least. For once, I don't think I have half a page of information....again, I'll start off in the Shadow Realm. I think I'll do that every chapter, just for reference, I'll post the Duel Monster's nicknames again...you know, I was going to give the DM and DMG both names that meant "magician" but at the time when I typed the chapter, the online Jap Eng dictionary I use wouldn't work....so I was kinda stuck. I thank the site LELOLA for having a small term list.  
  
Magician of Faith: Kaji (Faith)  
Dark Magician: Waizu (Wise)  
Dark Magician Girl: Wahei (Peace)  
Witch of the Black Forest: Kuroi (Black)  
Change of Heart: Yuumei (Dark and Light)  
Mystical Elf: Merodi (Melody)  
Punished Eagle: Tsubasa (Wings)  
  
Oh, I forgot to point this out last chapter:  
***= scene changes in the SHADOW REALM  
  
"I sense that something is in the wind, tragedy is at hand." -Sally: The Nightmare Before Christmas  
  
******  
"I'm so sorry I'm late..." Celtic exasperated, breathing hard, displaying that he had been running...and hard. But it seemed he recovered quickly, obtaining enough energy to thrust his sword towards a large black eagle that landed upon a boulder that was stationed besides the lake. "That bird didn't seem to want to go anywhere, anytime soon."  
  
Waizu lifted his head from a thick text, staring over at the Celtic Guardian from where he sat against a tree, his sister nestled in the branches. "No matter, it is good of you to make it, Celtic."  
  
The swordsman nodded and walked over to the lake where Kuroi stood, staring in as well. "What did I miss?"  
  
She merely pointed into the waters, chanting silently and watching as the ripples shifted from the image of Domino City to the God Card Osiris and its two passengers. "They are trying to discover the Egyptian, Shadi." She nodded in agreement of the humans' plan. "That is my best bet, I have heard, that he knows a lot. Fine man, for a human. Hm...but we need the assistance of a trusted human here, with us, wouldn't you agree even the slightest, Waizu..?" The witch turned her gaze to face the Dark Magician, who gave her a blank stare...showing that he was thinking it over.  
  
"Yes...that would be a good plan....we need someone from my master's realm to be able to assist us on what the world is like."  
  
The Mystical Elf seemed to pale. "Do you really believe that is a good idea? Besides, how would we retrieve a being...?"  
  
Kaji looked up from the spell book she was reading from and stood. "Isn't Pharaoh Yugioh traveling to Egypt?"  
  
The group of Duel Monsters gave her a curious stare. "Hear me out, since the Shadow Realm was born off of Egypt, shouldn't we be able to open a portal and get one of the humans from there...?"  
  
"Brilliant!" The Dark Magician stood off the ground, setting his book to the ground and holding to his staff with both hands. "Kaji, that is an excellent idea! Kuroi, keep watch on the lake of the flying patterns of Osiris, I want to know exactly when he lands," he exclaimed before striding over to the boulder where Tsubasa (Punished Eagle) was perched, Silver Fang curled at the bottom of the stone. With a click of the massive staff to the ground, both of the others woke and glanced silently to Waizu. "Both of you, Tsubasa, Silver Fang, I want you to search the realm for Ryu-Kishin, he will be needed."  
  
Tsubasa took to the air, Silver Fang by paws, immediately following the command.  
  
"Which human shall we bring though...? He or she, must be trustworthy."  
  
The Dark Magician nodded his head again, "I agree full heartedly, Kuroi. But who....I'm not sure..."  
  
Wahei lay across the branch she was on and made a serious sounding giggle to get the attention of everyone. "I know who we can use, brother."  
  
"Who...?"  
  
"Yugi Motou."  
  
******  
Marik had to resist the urge to strangle Joey then throw him over his beloved dragon. The boy would NOT shut up! The yami had lost track of what the other blonde was even talking about anymore, it was too confusing to listen. So he didn't.  
  
*Hey, Yami?*  
  
Marik started, jumping from his obvious daze to Isis and Kaiba (obviously not Joey), realizing the voice was his hikari. Which didn't make his attitude any better.  
  
~*What?!*~  
  
Malik cringed from his soul room by his darker half's tone of voice.   
  
*I...where are we going to land...?*  
  
~*Hell if I know, that water....uh, ocean is looking mighty promising right now.*~  
  
*I was trying to be serious...*  
  
~*And I quote Seto Kaiba: "Who said I wasn't trying to be serious?"*~  
  
Malik sighed, this was hopeless.  
  
******  
"Even with Osiris at top speed....it'll take a few hours to reach Egypt...." Yami muttered, staring over the red beast's head to gaze at the water. He turned his head behind him, finding himself smiling slightly at Bakura, who was curled up in tranquility, asleep on the god creature's back. There was no fear to falling, it seemed Osiris was able to create almost a bubble of energy around its body, so there was no way the two could fall.   
  
"So now all I have if you to talk to..." He continued to whisper, rubbing a hand over the serpent's fair skin. "Bakura and my light are asleep....not like Bakura would strike a conversation with me as it is. And who knows about Ryou, probably asleep as well..."  
  
He stroked his fingers over the head of the creature again, feeling as if Osiris was ignoring him. Figures. No one ever paid attention to him when he just spoke small talk, if it was advice, yeah then they'd be glad to listen. "But no.....no one ever listens to me..."  
  
******  
" 'ey! Look down there! It's land! Should we go there first?"   
  
Isis looked down and gave a nod. "Yes, might as well. Marik tell your dear dragon to land."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I said so."  
  
Marik didn't give a convinced look, just shrugged and went back to sleep. He was in bliss for awhile, until he felt something hit across his head and he jumped awake, glaring at Seto. "What was THAT for?" The Egyptian rubbed his head from being slapped.  
  
"Land your damn dragon already!"  
  
"Yes sir," he spat back. 'Bastard.' "Ra!" His voice raised out and the dragon gave a grunt that it was listening, Marik slurring a string of commands in his primary language, causing the God to descend at an alarming rate.  
  
******  
"What are you rambling about, Pharaoh...?" Bakura muttered, rolling over to his other side and stretching out a bit more. Yami blinked and looked back at the half awake Bakura and shook his head, eyes falling back to a blank gaze to the ocean below, what was it called? The Arabian Sea. Bakura grumbled at having his question ignored. "Hey! What the hell in your problem?!"  
  
Yami remained without saying anything.  
  
"I asked you a question!" What Yami didn't realize though, was Bakura had moved from where he lay to stand over the former pharaoh and plaster a slap across the other's cheek. Yami winced, finally giving a reaction to the other and sighing.  
  
"It was nothing."  
  
"You are such a damn liar."  
  
Yami shook his head and obtained a glare, firing it straight at Bakura. "Why the hell do you care if I lie or not?"  
  
Taken aback by the harsh comment, much unlike Yami's normal self, Bakura sat besides the other in silence.  
  
******  
"Where are we...?" Isis glanced around. They had landed on a small island, water a crystal yet pale blue and trees similar to pine. Her eyes fell to a sign that had been broken and fallen to the ground. "Marik, get over here, I need to use your rod as a flashlight."  
  
Marik raised a brow and walked over, stumbling in the darkness to where Isis stood and took out the Millennium Rod, holding it over where his hikari's sister was pointing. It illuminated with a soft chant from his lips and Isis read off the words on the sign. "Welcome to the Isle of Pines, one of the main islands of New Caledonia. Turn back while you can." She raised a brow much like Marik had before and chuckled. "Child's play."  
  
"Yeah, least it tells us where we're at though," Joey pointed out, receiving a glare from the other three. "What?"  
  
"OK! The talking was hard enough, NOW I'm going to kill you!" Marik hissed, causing Joey to shrink back, but not enough before the yami mauled the blonde with his rod. Joey fell against the rock ground, holding his mouth in pain and watching Marik come in for a second attack, but his now materialized hikari and Isis held him back. "Bastards! Let me go! I WILL KILL him!!"  
  
*Yami! Tame yourself!*  
  
~*I'll tame you, rodent!*~ Adding onto his rampage, Marik broke free of those holding him and dived upon his hikari, ready to finish his vessel off with the rod, but when he pulled it back....nothing was in his hand. "What?!"  
  
"Looking for this..?" Isis taunted, Marik only growled, not finding it amusing "his" rod was in the hands of his vessel's sister. "Maybe you should grow up, Marik and learn not to kill my brother? Or go back in the rod, your choice." She waved the rod infront of him and he reached to grab it, but she threw it to Kaiba who caught and stared at it. "Fine then, he can have the rod for now, it's his anyway."  
  
"WHAT?!" Next victim of Marik? Kaiba. No, in the yami's mind, scratch that: Isis. "How dare you steal MY rod!" He lunged towards her, but stopped when he looked over to the God Dragon and froze as it stared as if he were lunch. "......." 'Why is it staring at me...?'  
  
\\Leave them alone, and get on with the journey.\\  
  
\Who's in my mind?!\ Marik's anger rose again, the only known other to talk within his mind, was his hikari....and his light is getting smart NOT to do that.  
  
\\You cannot tell?\\   
  
His bewilder eyes scanned at the people staring at him, then to the last thing remaining that looked upon him. The God Dragon.   
  
******  
"Are we there yet..?" Bakura mouthed in a low whisper, though it did no good, no matter how loud he spoke. Yami wouldn't talk, nor listen for that matter. "What the hell is your damn problem?!"  
  
No responds.  
  
"Do I have to speak another LANGUAGE for you to understand me?!"  
  
No responds.  
  
"Damn...you are such a bastard..." Bakura muttered, a little more loudly than he intended. Something snapped in Yami and he stood, still in silence yet he roughly grabbed a clutch of Bakura's shirt and pulled the other up as well. Baffled by the situation, the silver-haired just remained silent, eyes wide as Yami held him away from the dragon, the only thing below him if he were to fall, would be water. "Yami..."  
  
"Say another word to me and I will through you off this creature." Well, Bakura had succeeded in getting the other to say something, but he wasn't what you called.... "fond of heights." So opposed to being his normal back talking self, he swiftly nodded and allowed Yami to sit him back down. The Pharaoh assumed the seating he had before and returning to silence.  
  
******  
"There's a village near by..." Kaiba muttered. They were on the move, a bit more quiet then before. Isis said if they went to one village, then she could perform a spell to search all villages on the island for Shadi. All Joey cared about right now though, was getting some ice....it took long enough to get his mouth to stop bleeding, but it hurt like hell!   
  
Malik stayed ahead in the front with his sister and Seto, Joey hung in the middle, and Marik remaining silent and staring at the ground in the back. How is it possible? How can the Sun Dragon talk to him within his mind? Can they have kind of bond...? Is that, even possible?  
  
Too much thinking, must not think. Shadi is the priority, not thinking.  
  
*Um, hey, are you...er...ok...?*  
  
~*Leave me alone...*~  
  
*No threatening comment?*  
  
~*Aibou.*~  
  
Malik blinked back at his yami then let his eyes fall forward. That was the kind of tone that meant to leave the other alone, no doubt about it, no arguing.   
  
The Sun Dragon, merely circled above, helping give off some light to the wanderers below. In his view, the village was nearby, but the others only groaned thinking it'd be miles and miles away... Reassurance? Oh yes of course.  
  
\\I don't see why you all look so tired.\\  
  
\Stay out of my head.\  
  
\\The village is near to you all.\\  
  
\Do I have to repeat myself?\  
  
\\Hm, what was that?\\  
  
Marik growled loudly and turned to the nearest tree, slamming his fist against the wood, causing chips of the bark to break away from the trunk and everyone to look back at him. The yami didn't care though, his eyes were fixated to the sky and pinpointing the Sun Dragon, yelling at the top of his lungs. "WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"  
  
"Marik...?" Kaiba couldn't help but inquire. "Who are you talking to...?"  
  
"LEAVE ME BE!" The last words he had snapped before vanishing into his soul room. Now all eyes set upon Malik.  
  
"Don't look at me! I don't know why he's acting like this!"  
  
******  
"Hey look....there's some land..." Bakura whispered, not really talking to anyone. He had no one to talk to. No, it wasn't the needy feeling of needed someone to voice his thoughts to, and NO he was NOT lonely. He was.....bored....right....THAT'S IT! Both hikaris were still asleep, how long do humans sleep for...? Awhile, eight, ten hours? At this rate, yes.  
  
But when Bakura spoke, Yami jumped to the conclusion that it was to him, and once again obtained quickly the position of preparing to drop Bakura off the dragon. The ring's spirit opened his mouth and closed it, no words forming as he looked over the edge. Honestly, HONESTLY, he wasn't trying to provoke Yami! Wasn't that obvious? Yami's hand shook, the hold on the shirt weakening.  
  
Guess it wasn't so obvious.  
  
"Y-Yami wait!"  
  
"Can't you listen at all?!"  
  
"B-but I wasn't talking to you!"  
  
"Oh really?" Yami raised a brow, body fully shaking now. Something wasn't right. "Than who were you speaking with, hm?"  
  
"Myself."  
  
Yami chuckled, but Bakura seemed desperate. He really did not want to fall, of all things in the world, this was the worst in his opinion. He could handle looking at heights, but when he is ready to fall from them, well, that's another story. If it resulted in begging, even with his pride on the line, he would.  
  
"What?! You gave me no one else to talk to! What did you expect me to result in?!"   
  
The grip loosened more. "Yami.....p-please......." The former ruler froze, had Bakura actually ask something, sincerely? Is that even possible?   
  
He sighed. One more chance.  
  
"Fine, then."  
  
Yami started pulling Bakura around, back onto the red beast....but something caught onto Bakura's leg and held him down, causing Yami to loose his grip. Completely.  
  
******  
  
  
  
Am I mean? I finished a chapter ^^ YAY! It's 10:24PM and my parents are making me go to bed, so I'm getting this up NOW. Be happy, not much to type here, gotta hurry, lol. 


	4. Jinja

Evil, isn't it? How I start with the Shadow Realm and hold you in a lasting suspense on what happens to my dear Bakura? Bahahaha! Yes, I'm sooo evil. Love it too, hehe. I know I should work on my Trapped story at some point...but my mind is as a fuzz, so I'll work on this and my like 6 other fics! Kinda sad....But nevertheless! I'll continue this fic (even with the short number of reviews *sigh*) Well, I try.  
  
Jinja- Spirit house   
Tachimodoru- To return; To come back (you'll see this later)  
  
And an added monster name...  
Prevent Rat: Nezu (Mouse; Rat)   
  
Ah, and one last thing, I couldn't say the last chapter because it would have ruined the moment.   
\Marik to the Sun Dragon\  
\\Sun Dragon to Marik\\  
  
Much to the poor yami's displeasure.  
  
"I see your true colors, shining through, I see your true colors, and that's why I love you, so don't be afraid, to let them show." -Phil Collins: True Colors   
  
******  
"The Pharaoh's boy?" Celtic blinked up into the tree where the Wahei was still perched. But his comment went corrected by Merodi (Mystical Elf) soon after it was spoken.  
  
"Pharaoh Yugioh's hikari, Celtic."  
  
"Same thing."  
  
Waizu shook his head to his comrades and signaled to his hyper-active sister, who stood by him with her normal cheerful look. "It is a fine place, my sister. When the group lands in Egypt, Ryu-Kishin (once found) will take the young Motou boy back here. But there is one problem we have to beware of."  
  
"And what may that be, Waizu?" Kuroi tilted her head in question, joining into the slowly forming circle. How could this well formed plan created by the Dark Magician possible fail? Impossible!"  
  
"The Saint Dragon, Osiris, will be watching over the group during their stop. We have to watch for him, just in case."  
  
Kaji finally let go of her slight shyness and added to the conversation. "Ryu-Kishin shouldn't go alone. He needs someone to watch his back while the claiming takes place. Just in case Osiris is in viewing range. And to watch for Pharaoh Yugioh"  
  
"Hai," the male magician nodded and scanned his eyes around. "Hm...I think I know who can serve as a good follower, too..."  
  
"Who, brother?"  
  
"Ah, Kuriboh, but of course. Small, alert, and fast. Our fuzzy friend will prove useful to this assigned task. Now, the matter is, finding the little fiend." Violet eyes casted out to look upon his fellow Duel Monsters. "So, anyone have any thoughts on how to find Kuriboh? Silver Fang and Tsubasa are already out...so now who..?"  
  
Waizu looked around again, needing some kind of plan from the group. Even if it would be a bad one, it was surely needed.   
  
"There's always Nezu."  
  
"Who?" Wahei blinked and stared over at the calm acting Mystical Elf.  
  
"Nezu, the Prevent Rat that is always scurrying around."  
  
"Uh, right than, how do we find *it* then?"  
  
"Un," Celtic grunted, holding up a blue and green form that tried breaking away, yet failing greatly, "I believe we don't have to search. I think I've found him.  
  
******  
Yami realized what had just happened, too slow for any source of comfort. He hadn't meant at all for that to happen, he was going to give Bakura another chance, not drop the now petrified Yami.  
  
His mind raced as he saw the yami drop closer towards the water with every passing second. Adrenaline rushed and Yami snapped his head back to yell out in Egyptian for the beast to descend, and quickly. The speed of the red fiend was pushed fast, Yami yelling another quick and sharp order for Osiris to move close.   
  
Good, how very good, Bakura was in close range now. Yami swiped his hand out to clasp for Bakura, but only a small fist of the other's shirt, slowing the speed down of the other as the water drew near. But again, Yami lost his hold to the opposing spirit and couldn't do a thing as Bakura hit into the water, sinking under.  
  
At least now, Osiris hovered over the water as close as he could be, allowing Yami to reach in the water and pull Bakura out. Relaxing now that the other was "safe," Yami whispered a soft command now for the dragon to continue from where they were, high in the sky again and a defense shield to keep from anyone falling, this time, it would catch the victim.   
  
Bakura stood, shaking and drench in water to face Yami as they stood face to face on the red serpent.   
  
"Bakura I- I didn't mean for that to happen....I never meant to dro-"  
  
"Yeah, well, you know what, Pharaoh?!" Bakura snapped between his harsh breathing. Much to Yami's surprise, there were tears within the ring's spirit's russet eyes. "You know what?! You are such a damn bastard! I actually thought, you know I really did think I could trust you with my life for a moment, but no! You....you drop me! I could have DIED, drowned even, and now I'll probably FREEZE to death because of you!"  
  
"Listen, Bakura, honestly I n-"  
  
"Bull shit, Yami! Damn I don't want to hear your freaking lies!" It became obvious of the other's feelings, Yami noted, Bakura was afraid, he was afraid of the falling, his tears that refused to break and shaking form showed that. "I don't see how anyone TRUSTS you! Why do so many people put their lives, their fate in YOUR hands?! It's stupid!"  
  
"Really, you shouldn't get so worked up, it was just an acid-"  
  
"No. No, you want to know why I'm so fucking worked up?!" Bakura hissed out, his voice dead yet soft at the same moment. "Because I HATE heights! I hate falling, and falling from the damn heights! And you know what, Yami, you just made a nightmare of mine for real, are you happy? Are you happy for once in your life you made me, the tomb-robber, cry? Are you?! ANSWER ME!"  
  
Yami just stood in silence, mouth open wide as the other broke into sobs, falling against the dragon's back on his shins, forcing Ryou awake and to take over, while he lay in his soul room. Cold, alone, dark....or all of the above at that.  
  
Ryou just gave a blank look up at the shocked Yami and whispered drowsily. "What just happened...?"  
  
******  
Malik lifted his gaze from the ground to Seto and raised a brow as the CEO seemed to finger at the Millennium Item in his hands. But no, it wasn't *his* Millennium Item, it was the "oh so golden rod in all of its shininess," Malik's rod. "Isis....why did you give him *my* rod?"  
  
"Because your yami was being an ass," she replied smoothly, the words flowing off her tongue simply.  
  
"But he's always like that," he murmured back before feeling a kick from the other's soul room. "He's really moody today..."  
  
******  
\\Yes, dearly you are very moody.\\  
  
\Dammit! Even in my soul room your annoying the shit out of me!\  
  
\\I'll take that as a compliment.\\  
  
Marik, from within his soul room sighed tiredly, almost giving up to argue with his dragon. He could see through his light's eyes that the village they were looking for was coming into range. Good. Stop here, than leave.   
  
Luckily for them, the people (if any were there) of the small village had lanterns/candles, so.....  
  
Marik smirked and separated from his hikari and glared up at the Sun Dragon that had been acting like their nightlight. Everyone stared over at the yami as the dark one muttered out an simple word that caused the dragon above them to glow and fade. "Tachimodoru."  
  
The yami opened his palm, a card glowing into place as the God Card returned into his palm, and soon after his pocket. No more voice of the dragon. How....pleasant. Marik couldn't help but cackle lightly and brush ahead of the still staring group. "May I have my rod back?" A smirk lit over his face as Kaiba looked up and over at Isis who nodded. The Egyptian spirit took back what was rightfully his and tucked it safely in a strap that he had gotten for it.   
  
" 'ey are we eva gonna get going? I mean looks, the village is 'ight there! Les' get going already!" Joey spoke in, brushing back from the group and running towards the village, ignoring the calls from Isis to stop and come back.  
  
******  
"AIAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Joey made a good running attempt, running back to the edge of the town and diving to the ground behind Isis.  
  
"Did the puppy get scared now?"  
  
"Ah, shaddup, Kaiba! There's a mangled lizard in dere!"  
  
Marik rolled his eyes and pulled Joey off the ground by the collar and dragged him into the town. Maybe something could kill the overly blonde male in the village. The yami snickered in thought. Oh the possibilities....  
  
"NO! Put me down you monster! Lemme go! Dere's an evil creature in there!!"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Lemme go!!"  
  
Marik simply chuckled some more and easily dragged the wary boy into the village, leaving behind the two Ishtars and Kaiba.  
  
"Think we should follow them...?" Malik queried, looking over at the two with a raised brow, never expecting Kaiba's laugh and urge to move forward.  
  
"Why not? I think I know Marik's thoughts, find a way to get the little Chihuahua killed, hm? What a short show that would be, but nevertheless, I don't want to miss it."   
  
******  
A man sat on an overturned basket, as much as the two shaded blondes could tell while Marik made his approach. Where was this monster? Nothing of that sort seemed to be in the vicinity... But the man was white indeed, dressed in loose tan clothes, definitely not modern, and the lantern light that hung like a street lamp over him lit his body up with a glowing effect.  
  
At his feet, well and tamed was a lizard. A simple, three-foot long lizard. Marik laughed out loud and dropped Joey to the ground as he became uncontrollable. This is what scared the teen? A simple lizard?! What a joke!  
  
"May I help you..?" The man oddly slurred, lifting gray eyes from his lizard to Marik, who calmed himself down and straightened up.  
  
"No, I'm fine, really. I was just hoping there was something out here to kill that bitch." He pointed down at a grumbling Joey. "But I guess not."  
  
"I'm telling ya, it's a monster!" An accusing finger shot out to point at the lizard, who looked at Joey madly, eyes crossing as its jaws separated and a ruffled scaling piece pulled from its neck and out, making Joey scramble to the ground and hide behind Marik. "See! Look at it! It's a monster!" The sight of seeing Joey scrawl from the ground in record breaking time seemed to please the cold-blooded creature, the frill around it lowering back to its normal location and it turned to rest by its master's feet. "What is dat thing?!"  
  
The man slurred again, humored by the situation just as much as Marik. "It's called a Frilled Lizard. From the mainland of Australia. But I brought it here, best time to have it is when non-natives like yourselves stop by and run in fright. Too bad you brought a brave friend back with you."  
  
"*I* brought him back here because I thought there was something that could actually kill him here," Marik scoffed, folding his arms as if he were more superior to the man and his lizard.   
  
"Yami!" The dark one turned to see his light by his side, raising a brow. "What are you trying to do?!" Malik sighed and turned to the white man, holding his hands out defensively. "I'm sorry if my....umph....*brother* has caused you any trouble, he's very good at that, sadly as it may seem."  
  
~*Aibou!*~  
  
*Well, it's true.*  
  
Marik gave a growl over the link, deciding which was more annoying; the Sun Dragon or his hikari. Or both.   
  
And both seemed to be the correct answer for the time being.  
  
******  
"I..."  
  
"Yami! What did you do?! I can't even reach my yami! What just happened?! I was asleep and then FORCED from my soul room. That NEVER has happened..." Ryou panicked, the state of his body's tiredness shining in his eyes and motions.   
  
But Yami was just blank. Never, and that goes for Ancient Egypt as well, has the tomb-robber had an outburst that struck tears. Never. Could he really hate falling that much? Did the cold ocean give some kind of effect? Yami only had gotten his arm into the fluid, and that nearly froze the body part off, and without the sun or any source of light to warm the water up, it must have been bitterly awakening to the other.  
  
"Ryou....I didn't mean to....I mean....."  
  
"What, Yami? What do you mean...?"  
  
"I.....I don't know..." he looked away, almost ashamed. The other's words did beat into him, about trust....everything he had said about trust, could it possible be true? No, no it couldn't have been.   
  
"Just tell me what happened.."  
  
Yami sighed, giving into the light haired boy and explaining what had occurred, leaving Ryou stunned that his dark half could lose it just like that. "I never meant to actually drop him though....I tried pulling him back up but his leg caught the side of the dragon and...I just....couldn't hold him..." Ryou gave him an understanding nod as Yami sat against the dragon, a jolt curving and tracing every vein and turn of his body. One thought crossed through his mind, one that awakened his young hikari from a blissful slumber. "We're almost to Egypt."  
  
******  
"He has caused no trouble for me. It is *him* who is causing trouble." The man stood from his basket and pointed at Joey who was standing behind Marik currently, making note that the Frilled Lizard was staring at him.   
  
"Monster..."  
  
"It has a name."  
  
"Oh really?" Kaiba and Isis had caught up with Malik and the others, Kaiba actually having a sense of curiosity for the thing that gave Joey shivers.   
  
"Aye, Drazzle is his name. And mine is Len."  
  
"That doesn't seem very Australian..." Joey raised a brow, moving out from behind the dark one, folding arms over his torso.  
  
"Who ever said I was fully Australian...?"  
  
"Uh...well...."  
  
Len shook his head. Stupid, stupid boy. He gave a sigh and noticed Marik's interest in his pet, but ignored it for now. "Aren't you people American? You seem like you would be."  
  
"Well..." Malik started, looking over to his sister and his darker half and rubbed a hand over his neck. "....Actually us three are...Egyptian, and eh, they're Japanese. Mostly. I think. Uh-"  
  
"Aibou."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Right."  
  
Len raised his brow to them, and looked around the seemingly deserted village. "I don't see why you people are out here. The people of the village have left ever since the sky turned black, hoping that the main land of Australia would be better. They haven't come back, but I don't believe it's any better. I must go with them too, but I cannot take Drazzle with me, the people at the docks will not allow me in the nearest city with him..." He gave a disappointed sigh, though he believed he knew what to do with the lizard. "Why are you people here though anyway?"  
  
"We're looking for a friend, but it seems he is not here," Isis spoke up, finding this man quite unusual. "But if you don't mind, I would like to use one of your houses here."  
  
"Not at all," he turned without another word, leading the group of five towards a small building and entering it. Candles were all around the one room place, which was actually good for Isis, but it was odd having them around. "This was one of my friends place, before he left he put candles all over the room believing it would ward off the darkness. It hasn't worked yet, you can blow them out if you need to."  
  
"No, they will actually help me," Isis stated, standing in the center of the room and looking to her brother. "Come here, my brother."  
  
Malik raised a brow and walked over, his sister whispering something to him and he uncovered the Millennium Rod from behind him, holding it out with his back touching hers, this is what she told him. Len (Drazzle on his shoulders), Joey, Marik, and Kaiba all stayed in the doorway, observing as the two chanted in unison, something only Marik understood, as a glow erupted from under the two, swirling up and straight through the ceiling like a tornado, yet never moving and never doing damage. The most the magic did was cause all the candles to blow out.  
  
Joey wished he could clung to something for support.  
  
But with the people surrounding him, it seemed to be a very bad idea.  
  
Len watched with a tinge of curiosity, though he felt as if none of this was new to him.  
  
The two Ishtars went on with their chant until both voices dropped to nothing, the swirling light falling to place itself along the walls and floor of the room, causing each part of the room to illuminate with a golden-silver flush. Again, both voices touched into the air, solemn filled with the single word of "Jinja."  
  
And the glow was gone, leaving Malik stumbling forward and falling tiredly against a wall and Isis gathering balance though she wavered a bit, only to sigh. "He's not on any of the surrounding islands or Australia itself..."  
  
"What? Ya mean afta all dat, he ain't even 'ere?"  
  
"What did you expect, puppy?"  
  
"Shaddup, Kaiba."  
  
"What was all that...?" Len finally spoke up, all eyes falling on him and his perfectly calm lizard.   
  
"Egyptian magic," Marik enlightened the part Australian man before Isis had a chance. They all stepped outside again, under one of the lantern poles for the need for light, now that all the candles were burnt out. At that point, Len had reached his own decision of going to the mainland to where his friends had gone, one reason he didn't want to stay with *these* people and second, he hated being alone when it seemed hope for the sky to be bright again was hopeless.   
  
"Uh, you," the man spoke up, pointing to Marik and dragging him away to the others. "You seem to like my little lizard here, aye?"  
  
"He scares the blonde."  
  
"Look, I think I can trust you."  
  
'Haha...how much liquor did this man have before we arrived?' "And?"  
  
"And I believe it would be could to leave my lizard in your hands. It won't survive here alone and I can't take him with me."  
  
Marik blinked and actually considered this. Good things; the lizard scared Joey, that made good torment. And another thing is...the lizard was damn evil looking. Heh, this could be some fun. "Alright then, I'll look after this....Drazzle for you."  
  
"Keep him, you are all travelers I take it, I will not see you again most likely. For the love of Ra keep him, my friend," and the man was gone, leaving the Frilled Lizard by a very confused Marik.  
  
But it soon after hit him.  
  
The man was part Egyptian.  
  
*Ancient* Egyptian.  
  
******  
Osiris's large, crimson body dove done towards the present for of Yami's homeland. He had to remember, things had changed, he was no longer Pharaoh, Bakura was no longer a tomb-robber, and things just plain weren't the same. Nothing had been spoken since Yami explained to Ryou what had happened, and the feeling of guilt still lingering within the once ruler's very own stomach. But his thoughts pulled away from the feeling as he felt his light finally stirring from his soul room, just as the dragon landed flawlessly to the desert sand, as close to the city of Cairo as they could get without being noticed. At least the people here knew what candles and lanterns were. Thank Ra.  
  
Yami disembarked from the back of his God Card, helping Ryou into the desert sand and summoning his creature back at a card, whispering a monotone thank you before moving towards the city without another word. He could feel Ryou close behind him, but another presence as well. Bakura had came from his soul room again, not saying anything and greatly masking his identity from being sensed. But Yami still felt it, his adept intuitions cited it perfectly, no trouble whatsoever.  
  
/Mm....Yami....when did we get here....?/  
  
//Nearly a minute and fifteen seconds ago, aibou.//  
  
/You could have rounded.../ Yugi tittered a laugh from his soul room, a trace of waking up within each responds in his mind.  
  
//Right, sorry aibou.//  
  
/Are you ok?/  
  
//I'm fine..// He muttered, the question reminding him of Bakura and the guilt flowed back to his soul. With a sigh, he felt Yugi pull from him, separating as they entered the town. Yugi and Ryou moved slightly ahead as Yami turned to Bakura, stopping the other in his tracks. "Look, Bakura, you didn't let me finish earlier, seriously...I'm s-" A dark look stretched over Bakura's face, he didn't want to confront the other, his body paler than before from the water, yet he was dry at least. He snorted callously to Yami, causing the King of Games unable to finish his thought as a glow surrounded the russet eyed Egyptian and then no one was before him.  
  
Yami sighed in a sign of unusual defeat, turning back toward the two lights that were a good distance ahead of him by now and sulking after them. Why did Bakura go back to his soul room? Why couldn't he just *listen* for once? Was it so hard? Yami was ready to apologize for ONCE to the other, that would never happen! And he tried....really he did.   
  
But it amounted to nothing.  
  
He took a death toned breath, eyes held to the ground, feet dragging in a slow pace. He knew he needed to catch up to the hikaris. He knew he should have told Yugi over their mental connection. He knew it all of what he could have done to be up watching over the young ones. But he did nothing, and because of that....what would occur, would be his fault, and his alone.  
  
******  
  
  
  
What's gonna happen? Really now, I bet you can guess. Ok, so Yami is in an angst moment, Bakura is all unforgiving, Ryou is in a sense of mixed emotions and Yugi is confused. With the group of five still on The Isle of Pines, Marik has a new pet....which I'm going to be fond of later.....heheh.....and Len is a guy no one understands, he'll probably show up in the story much later, or sooner, who knows.   
  
I admit, I know just about nothing about The Isle of Pines except what it looks like, and here's an example, when it's day at least. You all must remember that the sky is black, fully black, like night without the stars and moon, some people notice but a lot can't tell because of the spell which will be more understood later.   
  
Anyway, I'll be good and cite my source: http://www.sponline.com/nc/anglais/decouverte/idp/kuto/kuto1.htm  
  
One last thing before I leave you here and work on the next chapter. I've been debating on this all day and am going to the reviews for help, should I make some yaoi between Marik and Joey, I can see it happening, but I also like Marik bitching with his "I want you dead" act to Joey. Lol, please give me your insights on the thought, and review! I wish I had more on this story, but I won't complain, I'm enjoying typing this. 


	5. Hamaru

Hamaru- Taken  
  
Wow! Nothing to say for once! Except poor guilty Yami...  
  
"When the sun is gone I see you, beautiful and haunting, but cold, like the blade of a knife, so sharp and so sweet, nobody knows your heart." -Princess Mononoke Theme: Princess Mononoke  
  
******  
"Is everything set?"  
  
"Not quite, brother. Nezu is still in search of Kuriboh, but from what I can tell, Ryu-Kishin is on his way."  
  
The Dark Magician gave an understanding nod, staring over to a form just landing in on one of the faint gray trees. "Ah, Tsubasa, you have returned."  
  
The black bird gave a loud caw as a simple reply. Wahei moved towards the bird and smiled, rubbing a hand along its beak and speaking soft words to it, the bird merely responding with simple clucks. The girl magician looked back over to her brother, striding simply to him. "Ryu-Kishin is on his way here with Silver Fang."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Waizu!"  
  
The magician turned towards the lake, walking over to the one calling him. "What is it, Kuroi....?"  
  
"We're in luck! Pharaoh Yugioh has summoned Osiris back as a card, so we don't have to stay alert for the dragon! This should be an easy take, he's not even paying attention. I hope he's ok....but we still must do this..." Kuroi spoke, half excited and half worried as eyes gazed back into the slow rippling water, watching over the image of Yugi and Ryou. The only thing pulling her gaze from it was a yelp, mainly Silver Fang bringing in the grand fiend. "Ah! About time, we need to do this quick!"  
  
The dark fiend gave a snort, teal claws flexing as it seemed to be ready to go. But of course, the fuzz ball, Kuriboh, was needed.   
  
"When can I go..." It finally grunted in impatience.  
  
"When Kuriboh arrives, Ryu-Kishin," Waizu spoke up, still standing besides the witch.   
  
"I want to leave now."  
  
"Well too bad for you because you have to wait. Hmph."  
  
The fiend snarled over at the Dark Magician Girl who took the chance to recoil back slightly.  
  
***  
Nezu gave a final roll along the ground, spreading an assortment of dirt in the air as it stopped and uncoiled by a rock. It gave a soft squeak to try as an attempt to wake a sleeping monster. When that failed, the results occurred in a hard blue-green tail whipping the small fiend off the rock and to the ground.  
  
"Stop being lazy, Kuriboh! We have to hurry, the Motou boy is going to be out of reach soon!"  
  
"Squee...?"  
  
"Oh never mind! Come on!"  
  
***  
With Kuriboh in tow, Nezu darted into the land of the gathering, arriving at Waizu's feet. "I found him."  
  
Waizu gave a nod and looked over to his sister, then to the Mystical Elf and finally Kuroi. "Shall we start the spell?"  
  
Kuroi gave a nod. "Yes, indeed." She held out her arm and pointed to five corners (a pentagon), signaling each of five spellcasters to stand at one, with Kuriboh and Ryu-Kishin in the center. "Everyone, focus your magic to the center on our two chosen ones, yet minds thought to our once homeland of Egypt."  
  
Similar nods were exchanged as a glowing aura radiated from each spellcaster, a swirling blackness opening above them all. Celtic, Tsubasa, Silver Fang, and Nezu stared in awe at the happening, watching two of their fellow Duel Monsters arise into the air and slowly break through the portal.  
  
******  
Yugi blinked and suddenly went quiet on his chat with Ryou, turning violet eyes back to see his darker half still a short distance from them. "He doesn't seem in much of a rush...should probably wait for him."  
  
"I think he's upset."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Over my yami."  
  
"I'm not even going to ask."  
  
"Good."  
  
Yugi raised a brow and folded his arms over his upper body, a shiver running down his spine. "What is it Yugi?"  
  
"I-I don't know...something feels weird..." He choked down on his words, falling to his knees and now folding his arms tightly around his chest, eyes clenched with a sudden awkward pain. Ryou bent over the young Motou and panicked to say the least, realizing the boy's puzzle was shaking and illuminated with a rigid gold-black glow. "Something is happening.....I can't contact Yami....."  
  
"Yami!" Ryou yelled out to the dark one, but the other didn't hear, due to being lost in thoughts. His own voice was swallowed by a breeze in the land, which should be nearly impossible. But even if his voice could be heard, he suddenly forgot how to talk when one of the near houses vanished into a swirl of darkness, out stepping one creature, or even two. One was hard to see as it seemed to leave the area. "C-can I help you...?"  
  
"Step away from the boy."  
  
"N-no! Stay away from him!" Ryou finally shouted, standing up straight, yet he was still short compared to the size of what was a Ryu-Kishin.   
  
"Step away or I will force you."  
  
******  
Yami raised his head and stopped in his tracks, shouts and yells being exchanged along with a cry of pain. He pushed his thoughts aside and started in a run forward, stopping again when something started circling at a fast rate behind him. The former ruler spun to try and keep his eyes on the thing, but fell back to the ground as the small from halted before his face.  
  
"K-Kuriboh?!"  
  
"Squee!"  
  
"H-how are you here?!" Yami found himself flustered by the fact of seeing the little being, who by all means, should NOT be here.  
  
But the form merely circled about its confused master as Yami stood, wavering the fiend from his vision and rushing out towards the others.  
  
What he saw when he finally got there though, was heartbreaking. Ryou had been thrown down to the ground and his own hikari was struggling in the arms of Ryu-Kishin. "AIBOU!" Yami charged towards the dark monster, yet Kuriboh had disrupted him again, knocking him over and disappearing with Yugi and Ryu-Kishin through the portal. The once Pharaoh jostled off the ground and ran at the portal, which was gone by the time he got up, tears down his face. "No! Aibou! Yugi! Dammit NO!"   
  
Ryou pushed up, a pain in his side as he limped toward Yami, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry....I tried to do something....watch over him, but I was only pushed away...."  
  
Yami fell to his shins, head in his hands and eyes closed. More guilt, more sorrow. "It's all my fault..."  
  
******   
Marik walked back to the others, Drazzle positioned contently on his shoulder. His light looked over, brow raised to his other and spoke out. "Where's, er, Len?"  
  
"He's gone. He left his lizard with me."  
  
"What?! You gotsta be kiddin'!" Joey panicked at the sight of the lizard.  
  
"Not at all, *Joseph*. Though, I believe there is more to that man than we figured, I believe he is Egyptian, how, I have no idea, but he simply vanished from before me and I could feel an odd familiar sense to him."  
  
Kaiba raised a brow and Joey gave a laugh. "What? Former lover or someting?"  
  
"Jealous?"  
  
Joey coughed and choked on his words, ignoring what Marik said and turned away with folded arms.   
  
"Enough arguing, Marik will you please be of *some* help and call the Sun Dragon so we can move on?"  
  
The dark one faltered and pulled out the card, sending an obvious glare at it. The thought of burning came to mind, but the card was too helpful, and they needed it. Damn life for being helpful to others. He muttered silently and tossed the card into the air, watching it break apart and form into the great Sun Dragon, Ra.   
  
\\Mm...feels good to stretch again...\\  
  
Marik heeded to ignore the dragon as the all (Drazzle included) boarded upon the dragon. The yami found this ride to be more enjoying than the last time, holding the Frilled Lizard in his palms towards Joey's face, who was threatening to jump off the dragon. Isis was the only one who seemed to care if he lived. Kaiba wanted a show. Marik placed the lizard back on his shoulder and muttered. "I think I'm quite fond of this lizard."  
  
******  
Bakura sat on the floor of his soul room, legs pulled tightly into his chest. Five minutes had gone by since Yugi was taken away, his soul room just feeding the information into his mind. How could that of happened?   
  
He awoken from his daze slightly, feeling worried to say the least. How did Yugi get taken so easily? Where was Yami?   
  
The dark one looked through Ryou's eyes to see Yami leaning against a side of a building on his knees crying and held back his concern while Ryou tried comforting the once Pharaoh.   
  
Maybe he should have done something.  
  
******  
"Yami, relax, we'll get Yugi back..."  
  
"I couldn't do a thing though! This is all MY fault!" He continued to cry, unable to stop, the pit in his stomach aching as he couldn't feel his hikari any longer. "I should have been watching over him....and look what that resulted in!"  
  
"Weak."  
  
Yami looked over through a blurry gaze to see Ryou was no longer himself, but Bakura. "J-just leave me alone..."  
  
"Oh? So you can go on crying when Shadi is still needed to be found? I think not. Tell me one thing, what do you think they would do to Yugi knowing he is the Pharaoh's light?" Bakura quizzed the other darkly.  
  
"I......"   
  
"See? Pathetic. That's all you are and ever will be, *Pharaoh*."  
  
******  
  
  
  
Ok, yeah I know that was really short and pathetic, but I was lazy and am not quite sure where I want to send Isis's group. I know where they're going to end up, but I need one more stop before hand. And also, I want to get back to the Shadow Realm.....fun, fun, Bahahaha! 


	6. Yowarimenitatarime

Yowarimenitatarime- misfortunes never come singly  
  
Sorry about how long this took, I had a history project to complete, and a report card panic....but....all is well! And....you get a cultural lesson! Heh, one that I actually KNOW about...One more thing, I finally figured a current date for this story, which happens to be November 2nd, ok?  
  
"In your dearest memories, do you remember loving me...?" -Melodies of Life: Final Fantast IX  
  
******  
"Where are you taking me?!" Yugi cried out in fear, trying to fight against the monster that held him steady. Ryu-Kishin isn't who you called the most lovable and gentle monster, and the Kuriboh wasn't much help period. The spike-haired boy watched uneasily as the realm around him, hearing various commotion up ahead. His eyes finally gave weakly to the dark air and slipped closed, yet he was still very much awake as the voices he heard were silenced and that the monster carrying him had stopped moving.  
  
"I got the boy, sir."  
  
"Hm...? Ah, good!" The purple clad monster turned around, eyes going wide at the shape Yugi was in. "What did you do to him, Ryu-Kishin! You know he's the Pharaoh's light for god's sake, our MASTER'S light!" The magician gave Ryu-Kishin a dark glare and the monster set Yugi to his feet and watched as the boy opened his eyes wearily. The feared look turned to ultimate shock. "Well then....how are you, young one...?"  
  
"D-Dark Magician.....?"  
  
"Oh don't call my dear brother that here!" Another surprised look as the Dark Magician Girl clung onto her brother's back with a smile plastered over her face. "Call him Waizu, or Magician of the Wise! Of course, *I* should get *some* credit because it was my genius idea to bring you here!" She detached from her annoyed brother's back and kneeled infront of Yugi, gesturing Ryu-Kishin away, though Kuriboh still stood hovering behind Yugi. "My name's Wahei, or how it goes around these parts, my young master."  
  
"Why was I brought here....?"  
  
"Heh, we're in a dilemma and we need outside help to learn about your planet, see? We couldn't *possibly* take the Pharaoh here, or that tomb-robber and his own hikari. So, well, that left you....do you think you can help us out?" Wahei gave a reassuring smile.  
  
"I guess....but....what am I helping with...?"  
  
Waizu uncharacteristically pushed his sister aside and spoke up. "It deals with whatever spell has been brought upon your realm, we have a duty to Pharaoh Yugioh, your darker half, to watch over not only Egypt, but his living world in general. But we know little of this.....Earth, that's where you come in..."  
  
"I'll do all I can, Dark M- um....Waizu...." Yugi smiled brightly, meeting his idle Duel Monster was a great honor to him, a VERY great honor. But the memory of his mentioned darker half brought him to near shock as the others moved away from him.  
  
/Yami!/  
  
Yugi winced as his other made no connection to him, was the Shadow Realm blocking their link? The small light gave a panicked look, causing him to start suddenly as a hand was placed on his shoulder, looking up at the Witch of The Black Forest, remembering the monster as one of Rebecca Hawkin's.  
  
Kuroi spoke of nothing as she led Yugi to the lake, extending a hand out that wasn't on Yugi's shoulder to make circular motions with her palm facing the water. Ripples formed over and showed the image of the Sun Dragon Ra, Isis and crew aboard. Yugi's violet eyes went wide at seeing the magic, watching as Seto and Isis slept, Malik watched over the land from the dragon's head and Marik was holding his Frilled Lizard, Drazzle, over Joey's sleeping form.  
  
"When did Marik get that?!"  
  
"They were last near Australia, to be exact, Kuto of the Isle of Pines."  
  
Yugi lifted his gaze up at the witch. "Can it show me Yami....?" His voice cracked in fear that the other may be hurt....  
  
"Pharaoh? Yes, of course," a smile emitted across her face and the hand circled around again, the ripples reforming to zone in at Egypt, Yami still on the ground against a wall and Bakura scoffing over him. "Curse that tomb-robber...."  
  
"Kuroi! How dare you say any of that in our presence!" Two voices coincided as one, causing the Witch of the Black Forest to wane vaguely, turning as Yugi did as well to a light and dark form.  
  
"Yuumei! I......I didn't realize you were here....!" Kuroi winced at the Change of Heart's agitated look, both halves working equally as one, the single black and the single white wing outstretched momentarily and sooner than expected, the duo wings folded behind her.   
  
"I detest it when you always resent my master! You have no idea what he's like! All you see, Kuroi, is the outside of him, I know the truth, *I* know his heart, I can read EVERYONE'S heart!"  
  
Kuroi gave a sigh, shaking her head. "I will be more careful with my words, Yuumei. But now that you are here, will you watch the boy? I must go in search of Celtic."  
  
"I suppose I can," the double personality being nodded as the other moved away, leaving Yuumei to stand besides the confused Motou, who focused back to the lake. "Sorry about that, young one.... No one understand my master...."  
  
"All I understand is that he's always mean to my yami..."  
  
"He may seem it, but in the inside, no....far from hate..."  
  
Yugi gave a slight nod, not quite understanding, but as he looked into the water, he could see his dark half rising to his feet and give Bakura a death glare. Yuumei gave a worrisome gasp, turning to Yugi with a panic. "Please, allow me to 'use your mind' a moment so I can talk to the Pharaoh with your mental link!"  
  
"I would, but even I can't...."  
  
"Try again, please Yugi! He's going to harm my master!"  
  
"A-alright...."  
  
/Yami, Yami!/  
  
******  
Yami stood shaking on his two feet, scowling at a widely smirking Bakura. "I'll kill you....I swear on Ra's name I'm going to k-"  
  
/YAMI!/  
  
The former Pharaoh's words were cut short when he heard his light, but his current fury towards Bakura hadn't faltered the slightest until an unknown voice, female to the sounds, came over his light's mental link.  
  
/Pharaoh! Please, I beg of you, do not harm my master! He's trying to use his current attitude as a cover, he fears you still from causing him to fall! He still does! Don't you see? Ra, don't hurt him!/  
  
//Who is this?!//  
  
/Yami, I know this is really confusing you. I was brought to the Shadow Realm to assist the monsters of our Earthly problem. You were just talking to Yuumei....or, if you prefer, the Change of Heart. Unless something terrible happens, she will not speak again. But she's right, you can't hurt Bakura, he's hiding his emotions.../  
  
Yami raised a brow and his fight seemed to wear down from talking with his light. Soon, he obtained his normal stance, a soft look over his face, not the 'you-will-die-by-my-very-hands' face he had a moment ago.  
  
"Bakura....?" A pause. "Do you........fear me...?"   
  
Bakura's hard glare fell slightly and his head turned to the side, voice low and it stunned even himself that his mind told him to answer. But he countered that thought and lied. "No."  
  
Yami gave a grunt and stepped forward slightly, his puzzle beaming with an ancient glow, but he refused to force the answer from Bakura. "Liar! Tell me the truth, Bakura!"  
  
"I did," the silver haired made no eye contact."  
  
"Bakura! If you remember, it was my fault that you.....almost got.....severely injured..." Yami's voice went slowly faint then faded completely as his gaze dropped to the sandy path. Truth sank in, through the pores, into his muscles and burying into the bone marrow. It *was* his fault Bakura had almost been badly harmed, or maybe even worse...killed. In a monotone voice, he spoke again. "Please, tell me....the truth.....do you, or do you not fear me...?"  
  
The other shifted uncomfortably before whispering out in a hardly audible voice. "Yes, Pharaoh, I fear you."   
  
Yami seemed to slump, though didn't show it as he tried figuring what to say. But no thought lines occurred, and it was too late anyway....Ryou was back in control, confused as he stood before Yami.  
  
"*Now* what did I miss.....?"  
  
******  
"Where we going...?" Joey muttered groggily, laying upon his stomach on the dragon's back as he stared flatly forward. It wasn't a surprise to him that Drazzle was before him, Marik after and leading to the head where Malik sat upon the top of the creature's head. Isis and Kaiba held somewhere towards the back. By now, Joey had become used to the Frilled Lizard, and thus ended Marik's fun of tormenting the human dog.  
  
Speaking of which, Joey gave a blink as he noticed the yami actually sleeping, actually acting human, actually pretty damn hot....  
  
Joey's eyes went wide and he hit a hand across his head, ignored the sudden pain, and spoke up louder. "Malik.....where the 'eck are we going.....?"  
  
"I'm actually not sure, the Sun Dragon is the one in control, I have no ability to tell where we're going..."  
  
"So....we are blindly following the brains of a dragon."  
  
"Yes, basically, but it's better than you." Joey looked up at the voice and saw Marik staring sharply at him with one open eye.   
  
Joey gave a pierced growl at the other again and re-asked his question. "Where. Are. We. Going."  
  
"Mexico," Malik spoke up again, not even turning a hair to face the bickering duo.   
  
"Mexico...? You just said you didn't know!"  
  
The pale blonde pointed a hand at his yami and muttered something by the means of "he told me," but Joey didn't care at the moment, because a second thought stretched into his small humane mind. "Um....do any of us know Spanish......?"  
  
"No," Malik gave a slight sigh though, "we don't need to though, my sister can easily get us to a town and we can cast the spell and high-tail it out of here."  
  
Marik patted the lizard that now was coiled in his lap and Joey just stared, oddly wishing that was him. Maybe Kaiba was started to rub the dog nonsense off on the Wheeler.  
  
\\We're almost there, did you know that? There's a small town that I plan on landing by and I take it I shall return as a card when there...?\\  
  
The yami gave a smirk, liking the sudden change in the dragon's attitude greatly. One less person or....creature to mock him.  
  
\Yes, that would be splendid now.\  
  
No other communication occurred for the remainder of their flight.  
  
******  
Landed and settled, the group of five headed towards a town, the Sun Dragon's golden glow of it forming back as a card was their backdrop until the card was safely in Marik's pocket. Isis held a worried expression on her face as they entered the town, which was looking quite festive at the moment. People were scattered around in the streets, flowers...marigolds to be exact....were held to capacity in a wagon or two, luminaries bringing light every one and a half feet on the wide spread path.   
  
In no way, did the five fit in. Their hope for it being night seemed to fail, yet they had no true idea what time of day it was anyway, without seeing the sun....there was no help there. And the only one smart enough to bring a watch, was Joey, but his watch.........had been broken for weeks.   
  
Joey was walking closer to a small stand that seemed to have a bread at it, but ran into a man instead.   
  
"Mierda!" The man cried out, dropping the four pieces of bread that was in his hand before shooting a glare at a guilt-stroke Joey, who in turn glared at Malik.  
  
"You said we didn' need ta worry 'bout Spanish!"  
  
"I didn't think we did.."  
  
Joey huffed and turned back to the man who had already walked off, he himself, had walked over to the stand and pointed at the bread, not bothering to observe the person behind it. Scrounging up his best accent, he spoke out, having actually knowing enough Spanish that may get him some answers. "¿Qué aquí?"   
  
((A/N: I'll give translations at the end of the chapter, ok?))  
  
"Es pan de muerto, *Joey*."  
  
"What?" Joey lifted his head from the bread to the person and yelled out in surprise and shock at the midget form. "Bones!"  
  
"Got that right. Pan de muerto. Bread of the Dead."  
  
Joey gave a ridiculing look. "So what, is that what 'appened to you? You ate so much and ya turned all dead like?"  
  
Bones scoffed and looked away with folded arms, not noticing Joey swiped a piece of the Bread of the Dead and walked back to the rest of the people in his group. And of course, they hadn't been paying attention to him one bit, missing the made scene with the mock zombie duelist. Instead, they were set crowded around a crying woman outside her house, luckily, she was speaking English, so Joey's expertise were not needed.   
  
" 'Ey lady, was' wrong...?"   
  
"Joey!" Isis turned her head to snap harshly at him and looked back to the wailing woman, her age in the sixties at the most.  
  
"My mother is angered!"  
  
"Your mom is alive?"  
  
"JOEY!"  
  
"What?" He raised a brow, not sure what he did now. Isis gave him a threatening look to stay shut up and then directed it to everyone, they wouldn't be able to help without being rude to the woman in this situation.  
  
"Why do you think she is angry with you...?"  
  
"The sky! It's black! The dead must be angered, but I cannot understand why! My shrine for her is perfect, better than last year even!"  
  
"Shrine?" Isis raised a brow and the woman took note of her confusion, signaling for them to follow into her house and into a room that had a table decorated with food, water, chocolates, red and yellow flowers and a picture of a person the center of it all.   
  
Joey stared in speechless awe before speaking out on impulse. "Holy shit! Dat's amazing!"  
  
Marik, with Drazzle stationed on his right shoulder, hit Joey across the head as a scolding, yet could not help but chuckle and comment himself. "The puppy has a mouth."  
  
A brief scowl erupted from the corners of the obvious blonde's closed mouth. Kaiba gave a laugh too, but all were brought back to attention when the old woman kneeled down before her "shrine" for her mother.   
  
Malik raised a single brow at this, looking out a window to where the festival was being held. He could easily see people walking past with candles with their tranquil essences towards what was guessed to be a cemetery. The lavender eyes traveled away from the sight and extended what he gathered. "So you and your people figure the sky is black because the dead are angered?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
'Well, at least they have an explanation to follow....' He shook his head. "Don't think that, what happened with the sky is a natural....er...disaster....not because the spirits are angered. Go, go and celebrate or whatever with your people."  
  
The woman stood, stared at the made shrine, than looked to Malik with a smile. "You're right, no use moping. Gracias, muchacho," her voice whispered and she turned, leaving them in the house. Kaiba chuckled and looked to Malik.  
  
"Gee, you can actually be inspiring!"  
  
"Hey, look, it got us a house that has no one in it, we can cast the spell here and then leave."  
  
"Good thinking dear brother!" Isis exclaimed loudly before pushing her brother to the center of the room. "You know the drill."  
  
"Why do I have to do this too...?"  
  
"So I don't die using all the power myself," she whispered deeply, giving him a look that told him not to object. Malik grumbled in his ancient tongue and pulled out the Millennium Rod, doing much what Isis had told him to do the first time.  
  
But she decided to change things around, as he figured when her voice reached only his ears. "We're going to use a greater spell this time. Mexico is connected to both South and North America, we're going to spread the spell over both those land masses, and for that....we need more power," she paused and raised her voice in a command, "MARIK! Get over here!"  
  
"What? Why?!"  
  
"Because, we need more power and you're the only other blood related form here."  
  
*I wouldn't mess with her....you should know that.....*  
  
~*And I wouldn't mess with me, my *dearest* light.*~  
  
Malik rolled his eyes, but nevertheless, his darker half had walked over to the center of the room, leaving Drazzle at the feet of Joey and standing so all three of their backs faced in as a formed triangle. Isis whispered a few instructions before starting her hymn, joined by Malik and Marik once they caught onto it.   
  
Seto and Joey backed towards the doorway more as a light reeled into the room, velocity speeding greatly as its tornado shaped form. Malik's eyes closed tightly, as if in pain, and he was most definitely, much the same with the other two spell casters. Energy wailed out from the rod with great heat, adding to the light of the room which was growing in an alarming rate.   
  
Isis gave a surprised cry, feeling the world blanking out on her every few seconds as the light tornado dropped down to cover the room, and it took the only coherent form, Marik, to hold her up.   
  
Drazzle finally retreated from his position, scampering atop Joey's feet, causing the blonde to stiffen, yet did nothing to move it.  
  
Like the first time the spell was used, three voices (not two), formed the word "Jinja" and the light balled up from its surroundings, giving an unexpected blow to the three Egyptians, fading out in a mist afterwards.  
  
The side effect of it though, left the three laying weakly on the ground, hardly able to stand. Malik on his side, Marik his stomach, and Isis her back, all breathing deeply as Joey (who warily lifted Drazzle into his grasp) and Kaiba rushed towards them, coming to the much needed aid.  
  
"Are you three ok?!"   
  
"Aw man, what're we gonna do?!"  
  
******  
"Nothing, you missed nothing, Ryou," Yami stated in a forlorn voice, turning on his heel and started down the Egyptian rode. One good thing, no one was in the streets...meaning it was presumably considered night here. Ever since they had first arrived, nothing had been done, NOTHING. Except depression and guilt.   
  
Ryou gave a short blink, before following after Yami, catching up so he was by the dark one's side. "You sure? Is everything ok...?"  
  
"Everything is fine, Ryou."  
  
The hikari gave a sigh, able to pinpoint Yami's lies, but decided on not pushing them.   
  
"So where do you think we'll find Shadi?"  
  
"Not here."  
  
"Then...why are we still here...?" Ryou gave Yami an odd look, hoping the other would at the least look BACK at him, but no....the yami only stared blankly ahead.   
  
"To find any such hints."  
  
Ryou gave an understanding nod as they approached a small house and Yami entered it freely, the younger boy took a little longer to the fact, wondering if anyone was home. The only thing he became aware of though, was Yami's impatient bark of a voice. "Are you coming or not?"  
  
The boy quickly ran in just as a candle hand been lit within Yami's hand. Magic. That was the first thought, considering there was not matches in the house.  
  
"Do you know this place...?"  
  
"It's of Shadi's dwelling....."  
  
Ryou glanced around, accumulated dust was spread on tables and chairs, nothing that seemed to be any use at all.   
  
{Are you planning on helping anytime soon...?}  
  
[........] A pause and blank mind came from the soul room of his other half, but long after an answer did follow, and to think Ryou was about to give up on Bakura. [No.]  
  
Giving up seemed a good idea now.  
  
"Yami...it doesn't seem like Shadi left any sign to where he is. It's almost like he doesn't want us to know..."  
  
"No shit, Ryou. That's our problem, if he wanted to be found, he would have found us first so we wouldn't have to go on this damned, cursed rabbit hunt!"  
  
Ryou cringed and sank back to silence, turning away from Yami and the harsh voice that was distributed to him. He learned awhile ago. Never mess with a fused yami set to blow. And that went for all three he knew, not just his own.   
  
"There's nothing here..." Yami muttered, almost repeating Ryou's words, merely summed them up. The former Pharaoh grunted and walked towards the door, setting the candle down and blowing it out as one hand reached within a pocket and the other snagged Ryou's arm to pull the suddenly shocked boy outside. "The only thing that was achieved by coming here was allowing Yugi to be taken from us...." Again a grunt, seeing that it was more of a challenge to get the needed tool from his pocket than he thought. Long last though, he pulled that something out and threw it up into the air, yelling out (not minding his voice) in unison when the item fell hostage to a crimson glow. "Osiris!"  
  
Ryou blinked, the creature mere inches from their heads, Yami wasting no time when he pulled the hikari upon the dragon and commanding it silently away from his home city before anyone could have possible notice.  
  
But one form did.  
  
And he gave a chuckle as he moved into Shadi's home, whispering out. "Now this is wha' we call an interesting day...." an Australian voice toned out, leaving any viewer's sight.  
  
******  
Isis was the first who managed to say anything lucid, yet she was only able to move from her back to her side. "I-I sensed him...."  
  
"What? Really? Where?" Seto exasperated, just confused as anyone...for once.  
  
"I don't know....I sensed him in the direction we came....he should not be far.....but we must hurry..."  
  
Joey gave an excited snicker. "Wait a min', ya said the way we came? But dat was mostly over water!"  
  
"I....know..."  
  
*I can't move....*  
  
~*Same here....but hell, let's hope we can before that old woman comes back!*~  
  
*Hai....I forgot about her...*  
  
"No, but see, I know where he is! I said where we flew over was MOSTLY water-"  
  
"Wait, Joey, you don't mean-" Kaiba broke in, but he himself was cut off by the enthusiastic Wheeler.  
  
"Yes I do! He's in Hawaii!"  
  
******  
  
  
  
Hehehe....yup, Hawaii. Shadi the Egyptian in Hawaii. Now that's a funny image! Ok, to me it is at least. That was a damn successful chapter, I believe. Eleven whole pages. And....you learned some of the Day of The Dead, celebrated in Mexico on November 1st./2nd. I was going to do more with the festival, but I got lazy, and I was going to do more with Bones, but again...I was lazy. But doesn't the midget look Spanish? More then French at least. Maybe I'll do more with him next chapter....maybe not....who knows? Well, I promised translations....so here they are, would be no fun throwing them in the beginning....  
  
Mierda- shit  
¿Qué aquí?- What here?  
El Diá de Los Muertos- The Day of The Dead  
El pan de muerto- Bread of the Dead  
Gracias, muchacho- Thank you, boy  
  
And I have decided, not like many people suggested anything, to do a Marik/Joey thing, but don't expect it any time soon. Just like Yami/Bakura, they are going VERY slow...for once I think I'm doing a moderate pace, not just rushing right into "oh I love you" and "I love you too" kind of thing.   
  
Random, but- *sniff* the Varsity Volleyball team from my school lost ;__; I was on JV....so I went to their game....but we lost . It WAS however, a close game, heh, but what happens, happens.  
  
Please review! Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon!   
  
-Hey, this ended in twelve pages o.O 


	7. Furadansu dano Hatashiai

Furadansu dano Hatashiai- Hula Dancing and Dueling  
(On a title like this I'm just looking up words and sticking them together o.O sorry if they're wrong, it's wrong, whatever.)  
  
I should be doing homework but.....I don't want to. So I'll start this! Be happy everyone! Hehe..  
  
"You left a stain, on every one of my good days. But I am stronger than you know, I have to let you go." -Disease: Matchbox Twenty  
  
******  
A book was set hard upon the ground, a crowd moving around it. Yugi one of them. The Witch of the Black Forest, Dark Magician and Magician of Faith were the other few sitting around the massive text. Yugi watched as his "idle" turned quickly through the pages before stopping on one, running a slender finger down the ink covered parchment of it. "Here. Look."  
  
The Motou boy leaned in to see what the magician was pointing at and shook his head. "I don't understand....what does it mean...?"  
  
"I don't know. I was hoping you did."  
  
Yugi's face faltered the least and he sank back in disappointment. Kaji set her staff aside and took the book within her lap and she stared over the text several times before reading out the language fluently. "A escuridão levanta-se no mais profundo da noite, mas quando a alteração do tempo afía antes de seu ritmo normal, na esperança é perdida e pode a pilhagem do mundo na escuridão."  
  
"Wait a second- that's Portuguese!"  
  
"Are you positive, Yugi?" Waizu raised a brow at the boy who nodded eagerly.  
  
"I don't know what it means, but if we know the language of it, that should help....right?"  
  
"Right, young one," Kaji whispered with a smile, a small mark glowing on her head as she hovered her hand over the page and then the glowing was gone and she gave a jaded sigh. "It means....: Darkness arises in the deepest of the night, but when the alteration of time edges ahead of its normal pace, hope is lost and may the world plunder into the darkness...."  
  
"But....that...can't be...." Waizu stood, adjusting his helm and falling to lean against a near tree, face horror-struck. "This is horrible..."  
  
"Why, what's wrong...?" Yugi stood as well, looking quite short by the Dark Magician but it didn't matter right now. "What does that mean...?"  
  
"It means someone from the past, or someone who has been reincarnated (which doesn't give us much help), has purposely used his/her power to change the sky to darkness....but there should be more..."  
  
"Waizu, there was a page once after that...."  
  
The magician looked over at Kuroi who was examining the book. "But it looks like it was....ripped out..."  
  
******  
"We get to go to Hawaii!" Joey exclaimed, jumping up and down until Kaiba hit him in the stomach with his elbow. "Ah, hey, what was dat for?!"  
  
"Will you stop acting like a two-year old?! We have to get these three out of here before we get caught! Now come on already!" Kaiba himself already had helped Isis off the ground and was now leaving through the door of the house and only yelling back. "I'll meet you at the entrance of this town."  
  
Joey blinked and stared over at the remaining Ishtars. "How am I supposed to carry both of you...?" A crane of some slippery voice reached his ears and he looked down at his feet, bending over slightly and picking up the critter at his feet, looking it in the eye. "And carry you at the same time...?" He gave a sigh and set the Frilled Lizard upon his shoulder, where it obediently stayed stationary.  
  
~*Go to your soul room.*~  
  
*Why...?*  
  
~*I can support both our bodied more than you can and if the mutt tries dragging us both out of here, we won't move two inches.*~  
  
Malik nodded from his pathetic spot on the floor and allowed his body to be taken into its soul room, causing Joey to look twice before rolling his eyes and helping Marik up. "Come on, before Kaiba leaves."  
  
******  
The two exited the Mexican house, Marik limping a few feet behind Joey, considering he resisted the help. Marik had Drazzle situated back upon his own shoulder, feeling rejected that it seemed more comfortable on Joey's shoulder.  
  
They were quite close to the exit of the town too, well, if you could call it an exit. But the most annoying, death bringing voice rang through Joey's ears and he cringed, looking to see the one and only Bones infront of him.  
  
"Whadda'ya want now?!"  
  
"I want a rematch duel with you!"  
  
"No! I'm in a rush ta get out of here, skull kid, and you're not worth dueling again anyway!"  
  
"Ah, I see, so you're scared now, is that right?" The boy gave a hearty laugh and Joey glared down at him seriously.  
  
"Listen, I have ta go, there is no point dueling ya again."  
  
"Well you aren't leaving this town until I duel SOMEONE."  
  
"Then duel me."  
  
Joey turned his head and his eyes bulged out when he found Marik towering besides him, smirking down at Bones who easily agreed. Marik was quickly summoning energy to his hidden rod, and even Joey could tell the Shadow Realm was going to be mixed in with this duel.   
  
"Marik, you can't! You hardly have enough en-"  
  
"Shut it, mutt!" Marik snapped, pulling out his deck and adding his Sun Dragon to it. "The stakes are higher than you imagine, little boy..." The Egyptian chuckled as the world around them shifted, the Shadow Realm now being their playing field. Two podiums arose from the ground, forming a spot for the cards to be held.   
  
Joey sat back, away from the duel occurring, the lizard, Drazzle crawling towards him as if sensing danger.   
  
"You can start, runt," Marik muttered, catching a glance at his hand.   
  
"Fine, and start I will, with the Crawling Dragon [1600/1400]!" Bones gave a chuckle, he'd use the same brain-stick plan he had used against Joey, the same strategy that Bandit Keith taught him. Oh how this would be perfect...  
  
"Marik, watch it! He's gonna try ta have all his normal monsters get killed an' then bring 'em back as zombies!"  
  
"Silence!" Marik hissed back, drawing a card and smirking. How easy this all would be. "Here's a lesson in fear, runt. First I set down Doma, The Angle of Silence [1600/1400] in attack mode, equipping her with the Sword of Deep-Seated, raising her attack to 2100 and defense to 1900. That's a mere precaution though..." He chuckled and laid down a magic card. "See this card? It's called Tremendous Fire, only taking away five-hundred of my life points but one-thousand of your own! Now Doma, attack!"  
  
Bones cringed as he watched his life points drop to 500, Marik's still holding to 1500.   
  
"And that was only the first move."  
  
"I'm not done yet!" But Bones's plan was ruined already. "I'll play the Pale Beast [1500/1200] in defense mode!"  
  
"Fine with me. The duel is over," the Egyptian chuckled again, breezing through the duel easily as he set down Stop Defense and watched as Bones faltered, his Pale Beast rising from its blocking position. "Too bad. Now though, here is fear! Sun Dragon Ra, destroy that little menace!" He yelled through, slamming the ancient god card into position.  
  
Death like eyes widened as the massive dragon reared out its golden form, attack blasting straight through the Pale Beast and knocking Bones to the ground as well. Joey stood, lizard upon head as he saw the dueling podiums flicker away, Marik falling to his knees as the Shadow Realm fell away and the two were back in the Mexican lands.   
  
"Oh my god! Marik!"  
  
******  
The god card Osiris flew high into the sky, Yami's silence catching Ryou on edge, though he knew the other was just planning on where to go, it was near impossible to make the other say a full sentence.   
  
"Look, I know something is WRONG, Yami! It's hard enough having my own yami being silent, which is disturbing I may add, but you don't have to be too!"  
  
"Hush."  
  
Yami hid his face from Ryou's view, crimson eyes scanning over the land as the Eye of Truth shone off his forehead. He was standing upon the head of his monster, amazed that he *could* stand fully, Bakura's words of fear having an effect on him that he just could not understand. Why him? Why did Bakura fear *him*? The other always acted so secure and carefree around the former ruler....so why this change....? Was it all...for dropping him....?  
  
'I never meant to....I mean...I did, but he was just getting on my nerves! I tried pulling him back on but his leg got caught! I apologized...can't he just forgive and forget? No.....but the look of horror that had glazed his eyes.......what have I done...?'  
  
******  
"Marik! Wake UP!" Joey yelled franticly, surprised at his own sudden panic towards the other. But the closed eyes and no sign of movement from the dark one, seemed like a damn good reason to try and do something. The blonde turned a gaze towards Bones, who was laying unconscious to the ground. "Oh my god....oh my god....come on Marik wake up!!" Joey keened, shifting his gaze up to the creature clawing roughly against his head. "Drazzle what da heck am I supposed ta do?!"  
  
The lizard just stared at Joey, then back to Marik as Joey did the same.  
  
The yami gave a groan, eyes fluttering open and closed before he pushed away from Joey and stood, nearly falling over again if Joey hadn't grabbed his shoulder and keep his standing erect. "Come on....we have ta get you out of here..." the boy muttered, helping Marik in a slow pace towards where Seto said he would be. Though, it was hard, Marik did fight the help, but gave up after he finally did break away, which in turn caused him to be face first in the ground.  
  
******  
"What took you guys so damn long?!" Kaiba hissed out as Marik and Joey approached.   
  
"Bones."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Damn zombie duelist I faced at Duelist Kingdom that Marik went ahead dueling him in the SHADOW REALM, draining most of his energy."  
  
Marik gave a grunt and stepped aside, pulling out the dragon card and holding it out, mumbling hardly audible. "Sun Dragon..."  
  
\\Mm! Good to be out of that card again! Though...it was a treat to be able to duel earlier...it was too easy, wouldn't you-\\ From its spot in the air, the dragon landed to the ground and lowered its head as Isis and Kaiba got on the dragon. Marik was on his knees in pain. \\What happened to you..?\\  
  
\Spell.....and Shadow Realm...\  
  
"Come on Marik," Joey growled, trying to pull the weak yami to the ground. "You're being pathetic!"  
  
A glare now faced Joey from where Marik had been kneeling. The light blonde had hit a sore spot. He hissed a curse that Joey failed to understand as the other weakly stood, using the dragon's side to get upon its back.  
  
\Go.\  
  
\\But what about-\\   
  
\I said GO dammit!\ Marik nearly shouted over his link with the dragon, still glaring at Joey as the gold beast set off the ground, Joey now chasing after it.   
  
"Hey! Ya can't jus' leave me 'ere!"   
  
Isis moved, weak herself, towards her brother's dark half and roughly grabbed his neck. "Everyone comes, *Marik*, whether you like them or not, everyone we came with comes."  
  
The yami cringed, finding it troublesome to have Isis hand encircled around this body's neck and he shortly told the dragon to lower a bit for a disgruntle Joey to board and stay silent the rest of the way, Drazzle still hidden in his hair.  
  
******  
Bakura sat in the center of his soul room's floor, staring ahead at nothing. He debated off and on of looking through the eyes of his light, to see what was going on, though the only thing that was to see....was the Pharaoh.   
  
Pharaoh.  
  
Yugioh.  
  
Yami.  
  
All the same, each name you give the other it was just the same! The same stuck-up attitude held to past or present self, pharaoh or guardian while Bakura was just the lowly tomb-robber to everyone. A nothing.   
  
He rumbled a sound of agitation from the back of his throat, hands digging nails into the dark flooring until they turned a ghostly white.   
  
"That's all I'll ever be seen as.....the tomb-robber that fears the Pharaoh...."  
  
{Yami?}  
  
[*What*?]  
  
{What happened to you two...? Yami won't say anything, let alone look at me and I've hardly gotten you to say more than one words....what happened...?}  
  
[Nothing aibou, let it g-]  
  
{No! Tell me now, Yami!}  
  
[Shut your damn fucking mouth, my light, before I come from my soul room and do it myself!] Bakura hissed, and by the sounds of it, he was in pain. A pain he rarely came across. But Ryou was pushing it now. And it was purposely.  
  
{Fine then! Come out of your soul room and do whatever the hell you want!}  
  
A glow filled within the yami's soul room, his russet eyes set closed and body was covered by the golden-white lights that flickered in and out until he materialized before his light, both standing and Bakura stepping forward towards his light.  
  
"NEVER tempt me, Ryou!"  
  
"I had to though! You can't go locking yourself up!" Ryou yelled back, trying hard not to get himself killed, but Yami was here....so he was safe, right? .....Right....?  
  
"It's none of your damn business what I do to myself!"  
  
"But it *is*, I'm your hikari if you haven't forgotten! I'm part of you, Bakura, or have you forgot that too?"  
  
Ryou felt a fist full of his shirt grabbed, catching sight of an unhealthy pale fist raised besides his darker half's temple. He noticed a few red marks on the hands, ones that Bakura hadn't been aware of.   
  
And now it made sense, that what he was clawing into his soul room....wasn't the floor, but his own palms, on both hands. "What did you do to yourself?!"  
  
Bakura opened the fist and brought it down to examine his palm, dropping his grip to Ryou (who remained standing). His wrist rotated as the yami looked at the deep nail marks in his palm, mouth agape with eternal shock. His eyes were still looking over the mistaken work when his wrist was seized by a tanner hand. Yami's.  
  
Those crimson hues widened and moved from the palm to Bakura's face, who did his best to turn his head away. Yami took his free hand, moving it up and gripping Bakura's face, forcing the other to stare in his direction. But Yami's voice wasn't demanding, not even raised as loud as Ryou's had been. It was soft. "What did you do....?"  
  
"Nothing," Bakura grunted, pulling away from the other and sitting upon the red beast that still flew swiftly through the air to its own planned out destination. Yami followed after the other and kneeled before him, sensing Ryou move away and observe, being tired of his soul room.   
  
"Why must you continuously lie to me...?"  
  
Bakura stared away in silence, unsure of what to say to that. This wasn't a side that Yami showed often, soft and gently, not commanding in any shape or form. It was a one he used toward Yugi, his hikari....yet even more flowing and delicately chosen words were used.  
  
"I don't.....want harm to you, Bakura, if that's what you're thinking..."  
  
"Hardly."  
  
"What..?"  
  
Bakura turned a glare to the other, voice a snapping bark. "What kind of game are you trying to play on me Yami?! Why try hiding your 'stuck-up' Pharaoh self? You know what I'm talking about, so don't bother looking at me with that clueless tint over your 'perfect' face. Where's your bragging now, hm? Your....proud-sense of finally having me admit fear to you? Well?! Where is it?! What trick are you trying to pull?!"  
  
"Bakura! It's not like that at a-"  
  
"Just leave me alone! Alright, alright?! You've made my life so fucking miserable already so don't bother faking like you didn't do a damn thing! I know you'll strike again with some subtle plan of yours to send me spiraling into the darkest corners and curbs of my ring so just do it already or leave me alone.."  
  
******   
Water. Water. And....  
  
.....more water.  
  
Joey stared at the ocean below, what would normally be so bright and gorgeously lit by sunlight, was definitely not now. Of course, he was the only one awake, which would normally make no sense....so it was an odd feeling to be aware of everything.  
  
If only he had a camera. There were some good blackmail photos here, two at the moment. One: Isis and Kaiba "snuggling" unknowingly besides each other. And two: Marik curled up peacefully, hair blowing slightly over his softened closed eyes with the air that was set passed from the traveling dragon.  
  
"Kuso.." Joey muttered, holding his head in his palms as he realized that was HARDLY a blackmail picture. The only thing that actually awoken him from his corrupted thoughts was a sound from the scaled pet that was perched upon the Sun Dragon's head, Joey was immediately thinking of Jurassic Park from that retched sound. "What is it?"  
  
The sound was heard again and Joey looked over the side of the god card. "Whoa! 'ey everybody, wake up! We're almost dere!" With excitement, the blonde rose to his feet, looking down as everyone were slowly waking, and the Sun Dragon Ra....was descending.  
  
******  
"Wow! Hawaii! I neve' thought I'd be 'ere!"  
  
"Calm down, Chihuahua, before you hurt yourself."  
  
"Stop ruining my moment, Kaiba!"  
  
"Sure, pup."  
  
Joey growled at the brunette which only caused a more hearty laugh from Kaiba. The moment was only brought to a mistakably end by Isis, reminding them that Shadi was somewhere in this current city.  
  
As the four walked through the roads, street-lamps lined up and keeping it lit all around, Marik held his rod out, watching it dim every so often. "He must be somewhere near, otherwise the rod wouldn't be reacting like it is....."   
  
"Well then, it shouldn't be hard to find then, right?" Kaiba quirked.  
  
"Right," Isis murmured, "but why would he hide here? He should have known we'd come after him."  
  
"Who knows, it's Shadi for Ra's sake...even *I* don't seclude myself as much as he does," Marik managed out, still slightly weakened. The glow on the rod intensified and everyone blinked as Marik walked ahead to a circular land form that stretched over the tropic water. Eyes went wide and turned to a figure that stood motionless on the railing, covered in a white robe and turban. "Shadi!" The yami snapped, but the form paid no heed on moving, though, from his soul room, Malik could have sworn he saw the other turn his head mere millimeters.   
  
More energized than earlier, the hikari left his soul room, looking as if he was stepping out of the ancient spirit and continued to walk forward until he was a foot or so from the other.  
  
"Shadi...it's about time we found you!"  
  
The Egyptian slowly moved his left foot, turning and placed it on the other side of his right. Now the mixture of gray and lavender eyes hit the pale blonde's form and he stepped off the railing, not standing before the hikari without a word.  
  
It was Isis's time to step to plate anyhow. She marched forward, pushing her brother away and shouted out loudly. "All this time you've been HERE?! We've been searching the damn globe for you this entire time and you've been here?! Doing what? Getting more of a tan than you currently have?!"  
  
Shadi raised a brow at the sudden outburst of the other and shook his head. "I was merely trying not to be found so I could research....." he paused, pointing a finger at the sky with eyes never leaving the group, "...this."  
  
"Well.....did it do you any good...?"  
  
"None whatsoever."  
  
"ARG!" Malik groaned and turned away. With a sigh he began speaking coherently again. "We need a way to contact Yami....let us know we found you....but...-"  
  
"Now dat I think 'bout it, why didn't we separate one of yas that can use da mental link thing?!" Joey cried in annoyance. "It would of saved us some time!"  
  
"......He has a point...."  
  
" 'ey Kaiba, there's a first! Ya agreed with me!"  
  
"This world is going to end..."  
  
"There is a way we can contact the others..." Shadi whispered, a glow surrounding his body as he closed his eyes and muttered out again. "Hyosube.."  
  
Born from his glow rose a card forming into an aqua type monster, body of purple and blue, tongue lathing from its mouth as it made a few various hissing noises before it fully maintained shape and stood besides its master, Shadi. "Go to the Shadow Realm, find the Dark Magician and have him find a way to contact the Pharaoh and tell relay the message to return to Domino City."  
  
The creature gave a sincere nod, body darkly glowing unlike before and it was gone.   
  
"So...I take it we're flying back to Domino...?" Malik quirked, Shadi merely nodding.   
  
This day, or whatever day they were on infact....was incredibly long.  
  
All eyes fell to Marik and the yami sighed, walking over to the railing and holding out the god card. 'Here we go again.'  
  
******  
  
  
Wasn't that fun? Still slowly developing the two yaoi partners...Yami/Bakura and Joey/Marik. Yami and Bakura is going slow for reason of Bakura having his issues and Yami trying to fix them, eheh. Anyyyywayyy....I was going to say more, and now I forgot o.O bummer.... 


	8. Nemuri

Nemuri- Sleep  
  
.....I took awhile to get this chapter out. And I knew what I was going to do with it, I just got kind of lazy. I have way too many fics at once....ho-hum. Anyhow...   
  
Remember just as a note: Marik is still pretty weak after doing that spell with Isis and Malik, then calling upon the Shadow Realm and STILL having to maintain the Sun Dragon.   
  
::Digs from her quote barrel.::  
  
"I'll fly to the moon and back if you'll be, if you'll be my baby." -To the Moon & Back: Savage Garden  
  
******  
"If the page is gone....than we have no other reference....what are we supposed to do..." The Dark Magician held back a curse, with Yugi near by, he didn't want to make any bad influences. Though, with the crew the boy hung around with, his mind has probably already been corrupted.   
  
Yuumei tilted her head to the side, hands still interlocked as a mix of energy flowed around her. Everyone glanced to her as closed eyes opened and she whispered into the air. "There is a Duel Monster looking for us, you, Waizu...to be exact."  
  
The magician gave a stiff nod and looked around at the gathering of working Duel Monsters, each trying to find out what was going on in the real world. Eyes fell to the overly large black eagle, red eyes, gold talons and beak, and a crimson scared infused on its head. "Tsubasa! Go, find this new dweller!"  
  
The Punished Eagle reared up its head with a loud caw, wings opening and without another sound, the bird took the air of the Shadow Realm. In any luck, it would return soon.  
  
***  
"Find the Dark Magician...inform to contact the Pharaoh....message from Ssshadi to return to Domino city...." Hyosube hissed softly, as a reminder to himself. His tongue lathed over the side of its mouth, causing a lizard type lisp in his tone of voice. "But where iss Hyosube sssuppossed to find thiss magician...?" ((A/N: Yes, he's talking in third person.))  
  
A caw was sounded, the bird of pray in its fast attempt to stalk the aqua creature. It hovered before the monster, the Shadow Realm rippling under it and forming a rock for him to land upon. Its wings folding in and he crewed out in a deep tone. "Are you thee monster is seek of the Dark Magician?"  
  
"Yess....I, Hyosube have been ssent by my masster Ssshadi."  
  
"Then follow me," Tsubasa flew back into the air again, looking back once before leading Hyosube back to the gathering area.   
  
***  
Quickly, by the time Hyosube and Tsubasa made it to the area with Yugi and the other Duel Monsters, the water creature moved in a sluggish type walk to Waizu, eying Yugi questionably. He moved so his face was mere centimeters from the Motou's face, frightening Yugi as its tongue sagged from its pointed shaped mouth. "I ssence ancient magic from thee....." A webbed hand scooped and tinkered at the puzzle. "Magic of thee Pharaoh...who iss this....? Who are you, boy?! Tell me! Tell Hyosube!"  
  
"My name is, Y-Yugi Motou..."  
  
"Sso, you are related to the Pharaoh now, I sssee....Well that makess thingss much eassier now..."  
  
"Excuse me, but what in Ra's name are you here for, Hyosube?" The Dark Magician pulled the other creature away from Yugi (much to the boy's relief), staring down at it, a hand gripping at his staff.  
  
"Waizu! Ah....my master, Ssshadi has ssent me to give you a message....No, he gave me a message for you to give thy Pharaoh...."  
  
"And that message is...?" Waizu raised a brow and looked with a side glance to Yugi and back at the shorter creature before him.  
  
"Tell the Pharaoh to return to.....ah me.....what wasss it called..?" It pondered to himself, before it seemed something clicked in. "Right! Domino City! They must return to Domino City because they found my master!"  
  
"Yugi..?" The magician gave another look to Yugi, who in turn nodded as a way of saying he would tell his darker half right away.   
  
/Yami!/  
  
//.......Yes, aibou.......?//  
  
Yugi's features furrowed at the feeling of depression coursing through the mental link now, but continue on with what was needed nevertheless. Besides, it was a much important thing to do.   
  
/News here is that you guys should be going back to Domino City. One of Shadi's monsters made it here and said that the others found Shadi, and they are already heading to Domino as we speak../  
  
//......Ok.......thank you, aibou........//  
  
/Yami......are you ok.....?/  
  
There was a long pause before.. //.........No.//  
  
Yugi gulped, but something in his mind told him there was nothing he could do.  
  
******  
Yami sat upon the top of Osiris's head, legs crossed and pain streaming through every vein in his body. The last words Bakura snipped at him hurt, they really did hurt. And they were still stiff in his mind, fogging his thinking process. Those words, those fifty-eight words that he had counted and had burned in the innards of his skull:  
  
  
"Just leave me alone! Alright, alright?! You've made my life so fucking miserable already so don't bother faking like you didn't do a damn thing! I know you'll strike again with some subtle plan of yours to send me spiraling into the darkest corners and curbs of my ring so just do it already or leave me alone.."  
  
  
  
The Pharaoh held his head tightly in his grasp, thumbs pressuring his temples as if hoping the feeling of being ripped in half would just leave him. Why did it hurt so much?! Why did the words of Bakura effect him that's it's sending him down a spiral of darkness...?   
  
And then, Yugi's previous words kicked in. That they didn't have to fly blindly anymore, that they could go home, if that's what it could be called. He could feel Yugi's worry for him, but greatly ignored it, finding it unimportant.   
  
A single tanned hand of his reached out, stroking a spot of the graceful dragon's scales and muttered out dully. "Go back to the city, go back to the home of my aibou. Domino City." The dragon grunted an acknowledgement and shifted its body in a ninety degree angle, heading back, as if memorized, to Domino.  
  
Ryou looked up from his spot away from Bakura and away from Yami, wondering why they were going back, but didn't even have to voice his thought for Yami spoke out in his sorrowful voice. "The others found Shadi. They are heading back as well. Yugi told me."  
  
"Where was the man..?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
The hikari faltered at the comment, then looked back and forth between the yamis and sighed.   
  
"I'm starting to wish I was in the Shadow Realm with Yugi."  
  
******  
Half way there. Half way to Domino with Malik in his soul room, Marik sitting upon the head with Joey ((*cough*)) besides him. Isis said it was for the best, considering it was currently very possible for Marik to lose consciousness and fall off the dragon, and he was, unfortunately, the only one who could control it.  
  
Isis and Seto sat around the center of the dragon's back, Shadi semi close to them as his eyes stared blankly into the sky. The image he showed, displayed he did NOT want to be there. Not one bit.  
  
Last but not least, Drazzle. The lizard given to Marik by the "Australian" Len, and a damn good companion at that. Though, now it really was just a simple pet....he couldn't torment Joey with it like he had planned, for one: the Frilled Lizard enjoyed being around Joey (hair making a good place to curl). And two: Joey was starting to be fond of it.   
  
Marik grunted to himself, realizing he was feeling JEALOUS that Drazzle seemed to like sleeping near Joey more than himself. Ha! What a laugh....jealous. Him? NO! Never! Fuck anyone who thinks that, in his opinion. Have some matches, have something flammable, and you can have a fire in Joey's hair!  
  
But all those destructive thoughts flew from Marik's mind as he felt the world blipping out. Maybe Isis was right about him not being able to hold up, though he tried to believe he was fine. However, when his own dragon seemed to feel his weakening body, it probably meant something was wrong.  
  
\\Master...you're getting light headed, I can tell.\\  
  
\I'm fine! Why can't anyone see th-\ Marik wavered from where he sat and sure enough, he seemed to be slipping, and luckily (as planned just in case), Joey snatched him and held him upright.   
  
Though, he didn't stay upright. From the lighter blonde's tug to hold him up, the fainted Marik collapsed into the other, Joey faltering a bit at the new weight, but there was no other place to set the yami, so Marik simply rested against Joey.   
  
The said blonde looked over his shoulder to see the other occupants asleep, well, Shadi was meditating, but that was close enough. Might as well be comfortable....  
  
******  
"How far until we get back to the city....?" Ryou voiced out loudly, getting an answer a a few minutes later from the still guilt-struck Yami.  
  
"Not far. Fifteen minutes, at the most."  
  
"Um...thanks..." Ryou muttered. Getting a delayed answer was not what he called a fun day.   
  
******  
Marik stirred slightly, blinking his eyes open in confusion as he found himself laying across the head of the Sun Dragon. His legs were pointed towards the tail of the dragon, head closer to the forehead. Warmth had encircled him and he felt himself edge more into it, but then went tense as he realized WHAT he was curling into. Ok, so it was more like who, but nevertheless....Joey had his arms draped around him, asleep.   
  
Eyes went wide as his mind told him to push himself away from the grasp, but his body refused and he mentally groaned. Why was this so damn comfortable?!   
  
\\You've been like that for about an hour.\\  
  
\Joy. How exactly DID I get like this...?\  
  
\\You blacked out and slipped out of consciousness, and almost fell off, but that other snatched you upright and you sagged against him. I think he was trying to figure out what to do with you, but was afraid of you falling off, so he left you leaning against him. Let's just say this, he fell asleep, fell forward with you still against him and...well.....\\  
  
The yami growled lightly, normally ready to shut the dragon up at any time, but at the moment he WANTED the Sun Dragon to finish this....happening.  
  
\Well?! Well WHAT?!\  
  
\\I'm not sure if you want to know....\\  
  
\Tell me NOW or I'll burn your card when we get back to Domino!\  
  
\\You curled against him, which forced him to put an arm around you.\\  
  
\.........\ Marik remained silent after that and seemed to pout. 'Wait....so...he didn't do that on purpose...? The only reason he put an arm around me was because I moved against him....?' The yami sighed into the air, wondering where the sudden sadness came from figuring that thought. It had to be nothing.  
  
Shadi's eyes snapped open from his state of meditation. "We're landing soon."  
  
******  
The beast known as Osiris grazed through the air of hometown Domino City. Current landing area set for the roof of Kaiba Corp where this all started. Ryou looked ready to pull out all of his hair, the silence was seriously beginning to kill him. But not long now....not long until they were landed on that roof with Malik and the others close by.   
  
More than close than expected though.   
  
It seemed the other party of people had just landed a few minutes ago, Ryou could catch a glimpse of the Sun Dragon. He listened as Yami spoke out in Egyptian, a command for the dragon/serpent to land, an easily accomplished task.   
  
But unlike the Sun Dragon for staying in its form, Yami summoned back Osiris as a card, slipping it silently into his pocket, moving onto one side of Ryou.   
  
Group faced group, three facing six. Ryou separated his yami and Yugi's yami by standing in between them, waiting for SOMEONE to speak out, but no one did. Marik had been standing on an end of his group's lineup, Joey to his left side and the Sun Dragon off to his near right.  
  
\\Didn't they have one more when we left before...?\\  
  
Marik blinked. "Where's Yugi...?"  
  
Yami lowered his head, voice still whirred in a grave tone. "He's in the Shadow Realm with the Dark Magician and others.....trying to help from there..."  
  
\\He seems thrilled.\\  
  
"What has your spikes in a bunch, Pharaoh?"  
  
Yami merely grunted, looked at Bakura (the guilty script etching over his face again) and looked away, unable to cope with these maters. Marik glared and stormed past the other, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from everyone.   
  
Death grip still on Yami's arm, Marik spun the Pharaoh before him and scoffed darkly into his face. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"  
  
Yami glanced off to the side, shifting his feet uncomfortably. "Nothing is wrong."  
  
"Fuck it Yami! When the Sun Dragon notices that you are off beat, I'm pretty damn sure something has you tweaked!"  
  
Curiosity struck Yami and his eyes immediately swept up to look straight into Marik's eyes. The action caught the other off guard slightly, but Marik regained focus and posture as Yami balanced out his question. "How do you know what the Sun Dragon feels...?" Marik was off guard again, how could Yami not know the answer to that?  
  
"He told me."  
  
"How...?"  
  
"You know....mental connection?" Marik pushed on, still not seeing anything click by the look of Yami's face. "Oh don't tell me you don't communicate with Osiris."  
  
"But I.....I don't....."  
  
\Why can't he converse with Osiris?\  
  
There was a long pause as the god card's head tilted from where it was laying, but answered Marik's question after attaining a fair responds. \\His mind is unclear, fogged by some sort of conflicting emotion I doubt he has even registered. It's hard enough for him to keep a mental link to his other half, let alone if he tried with he Saint Dragon, his mind most likely would become over powered.\\  
  
"Yami. You seem REALLY stressed. Now, forget what I said of all this mental connection nonsense and let's go talk to Shadi, ne?"  
  
The former Pharaoh's eyes glanced over to Bakura, then to Shadi as he gave a curt nod, brushing passed Marik without another word and walking towards Shadi, stopping before the magician. "So. You know nothing of this.....darkness?"  
  
"Ile. None. If you all had given me more time then perhaps I could have found something. But that didn't o-"  
  
Shadi's gaze reduced to look at a creature at his feet, that was, without delay, scooped into the hands of Joey Wheeler. "Drazzle! You have to stay with Marik!" The lizard gave a hiss and lifted its frill to show the inner anger, but the one holding him ignored it and walked towards Marik. "I found your lizard, it tried to introduce itself to Shadi, so to speak. I think you may want him back." Joey held out the lizard to Marik who grabbed it ruthlessly and placed him on his shoulder.   
  
The Millennium Item guardian returned his attention back to Yami with a sigh. "As I was saying....I didn't receive as much time for research as I had hoped. By Ra...I have no idea what to do, we have no idea if the spell on our sky is even effecting the Earth in any shape or form! Hopeless.....how I hate to admit....."  
  
******  
A form moved slowly into the Turtle Game Shop after easily picking the lock and by passing the security system. He gave a chuckle and glanced around, finding a clock saying it was about one in the morning. The figure nodded to himself, taking a breath in as if trying to *feel* something. "Ah, yes.....this is definitely one of the households of the Millennium Items....now I only need the other four.....no one will get in our way...." The voice paused and smirked as he moved noiseless out the shop.  
  
"No one."  
  
******  
  
  
Heh heh heh......Here's a hint, that last part is from a character that has been introduced already. Some may get it, but it's impossible to tell, really. I had funnnn with this chapter, especially with scenes on the Sun Dragon, with Marik and Joey ^^ So kawaii!!   
  
Ah, I watched the second episode about three times, got through all my mail from the all-holy Yahoo Group I'm in (not the one in my bio, diff one). So nooowwwwww........I post this up! Akemi, if you're reading this....I'm STILL hyper! But not hyper enough to have combed through and edited this....sorry if it has some mistakes...  
  
'til next chapter folks! 


	9. Janpu

Janpu- jump  
  
Heh, I love you people ^^ You make me all happy and the sorts. This chapter doesn't QUITE help move the plot anywhere, just mainly a work with Yami and Bakura, I have it planned out for them ^^ well, for this chapter at least.  
  
Warning: Yaoi (NO DUH!) and the THOUGHT of suicide, doesn't get anywhere though and no blood from it, but I thought I should say that anyway. And Marik is OOC kinda.  
  
But first, we take a trip to the Shadow Realm! That may be kinda short though.  
  
"So for me to meet this doom is trifling grief; but if I had suffered my mother's son to lie in death an unburied corpse, that would have grieved me." -Antigone: Antigone  
  
******  
Yugi, who was suddenly going frantic, finally stopped his crazed works by settled besides Kuroi by the lake.   
  
"What is with you, young one?"  
  
"Everything is going really weird! My yami is all depressed and he won't tell me why! I'm afraid for him, Kuroi! If he's not focusing than something could happen to him..." his head lowered and he could see the witch move her hand over the water and an image flickered to the roofing of Kaiba Corp, observing each person with grave curiosity, and Yugi noticed this and looked up at her. "What? What is it?"  
  
Kuroi ignored him and turned her head, looking past the sleeping Dark Magician Girl to Yuumei and called her over.  
  
"What do you need...?"  
  
"Look in the water, look at your master. You know him more than any of us, so you say, so tell me why he is depressed. Him and the Pharaoh both are. And Malik is in his soul room with his darker half and that blonde.....was it Joey?" She looked back to Yugi who gave a stiff nod, looking back in the water. "Right, that Joey figure are keeping a good distance apart..."  
  
"I....see. Let's look at this then...." she pointed a hand to direct the other two to her master, Bakura first. "He," and then moved her finger to point at Yami, "is afraid of him. He fears the Pharaoh and oddly enough, our Pharaoh seems.....guilty over the matter..."  
  
Yugi stared in amazement at her words. Yami? Guilty for.....Bakura....? Was that even a possibility? The Change of Heart seemed to read his mind. "It is more of a possibility than anything else, young one. Trust me."  
  
******  
A lot can transpire in one day. But not this day.  
  
Joey was becoming a little on edge from his sudden gap between him and Marik. Ok, so being near him during the search for Shadi made him become comfortable near the other, even after in the beginning.....Marik tried killing him. More than once.  
  
Did waking up in their "cuddled" position really scare both of them away from each other? It was snug, a sense of security was illuminating from that embrace they had shared. Couldn't Marik feel that? How could he NOT have that feeling....? Joey sunk down to sit in a corner of the roof, away from everyone as he curled himself in a sitting position against the concrete corner. He had the feeling now, he just wanted the other to be happy, and if that meant staying away from him....than so be it.   
  
But it hurt. Every time him and Marik made eye contact, it resulted in him receiving a dark glare from the other.....  
  
******  
Ignoring Shadi's wishes, ignoring Isis's wishes.....ignoring his damn hikari's wishes (Marik forced his light from his soul room and left him laying on the roof), moved over to where his dragon was still stationed, asleep, but he was there. The god had a cocky attitude in the beginning, but being released from a card the first time in quite awhile could do that to someone.   
  
He stared up at the sleeping beast, observing it, but soon found out, it wasn't even asleep. Marik was caught off guard a bit when an eye cocked open, and closed again, but the mental connection was open.  
  
\\You should talk to him.\\  
  
The yami sat before his dragon, arms folded and brow raised curiously.  
  
\Who?\  
  
\\That Joey character.\\  
  
\Why?\  
  
\\Because you care for him.\\  
  
Marik looked away in anger, and another emotion that he kept hidden, though the dragon easily picked it out. \I do not. He's a bastard and I swear I'll kill him once this is all over, maybe I'll even kill him now. Do you want to tempt me into it?\ His responds was a growl from the dragon and he flinched.  
  
\\You and your emotions, hide them like they're a burden. Fool.\\  
  
\Fuck you!\ Marik stood and glared at the now fully awake dragon and hissed over his link. \Emotions help NO ONE! Besides, he could care LESS of me! He doesn't want me and hell he doesn't deserve someone like me! I deserve better, why would *I* want a rat like him anyway?!\  
  
\\I don't know, why do you?\\  
  
\I DON'T!\ Marik's hands fisted and he yelled out a retorted Egyptian word, pulling back the dragon into a card and stuffing it in his pocket, looking over at Kaiba, Isis, Malik, Shadi, Yami, and Ryou sitting in a little circle staring at him. He grunted and glared at them before reentering the building, finding some office within it, picking the lock and sitting within that. He was alone at least.  
  
******  
Yami stood from the circle of six, lowering his head slightly. They had been discussing the current happens, details and such of every bit of information they had. Drazzle, somehow was held captive in the center, Marik having put him there.  
  
The present conversation that had been happening stopped and eyes fell to Yami, how shook his head and spoke out. "I'm going. I'll.....be back later." Then left.  
  
Ryou himself now stood and stared anxiously after the Yami, quickly shifting himself to walk quickly to his darker half who was off sides a bit. "Yami! You have to go after him!"  
  
"The Pharaoh? Why should I?"  
  
"Because I feel like something awful is going to happen to him!"  
  
"Good."  
  
"YAMI!" Ryou gave a pained look to his other, who long for after stared at him before breaking his narrowed eyes contact and walking in the direction Yami went.  
  
[Fine, aibou! FINE! I'll go after that damned Pharaoh and make sure he doesn't get hurt because of your little HUNCH. I hope you're happy.] He broke off his mental connection after that.  
  
******  
The Egyptian Pharaoh moved into the streets, in a slow pace, feet barely sweeping against the ground.  
  
"I'm a fool..." his voice murmured in sadness, "I can't even figure out a simple spell. I'm supposed to know these things!" Crimson eyes traveled up to stare into the blackness. "And look. I can't even figure this out."  
  
He sighed and stopped moving, looking around with an odd feeling of his location.  
  
******  
Bakura at last got Yami in his sight. The other was standing stiff, deep in thought in the center of the road. He rolled his eyes at the sight, mentally cursing his aibou thinking Yami would be in danger.  
  
'Great. Now what do I do? Damn my hikari to make me follow him. Hey- wait a second....what's that....?' Bakura's thoughts were sidetracked when he saw the ground literally swell into ripples beneath him, but Yami was off in his own world too much to notice.   
  
Some instinct took over and at the sight of a gel substance beginning to grab out to Yami, Bakura voiced out loudly. "Pharaoh! Pharaoh!! YAMI!!!"  
  
Yami's head turned around to look blankly at Bakura, and looked away again causing the silver haired to growl and leap forward. He pushed Yami to the ground, away from whatever was trying to take him. But that position didn't last long, Yami pushed Bakura off him and stood, looking at the other with a glare.  
  
Bakura moved to his feet, looking back to see the ripple effect the ground had, gone. He sighed in relief, glancing back towards Yami who lashed his voice out. "What in Ra's name are you doing?! Get- just get the hell away from me!!"  
  
The other recoiled slightly, hands curled into fists by his side, eyes closed but soon snapped open to glare darkly at Yami. "Alright. Alright, I will. I'll leave you alone. Forever. I'll make happen what everyone wants. You won't see me ever again, and hell, I know you won't even care." Bakura turned away, not seeing Yami's now shocked expression, breaking into a run out of view before Yami could do anything.  
  
"What does that mean...? He's not seriously going to.....kuso....I've made a horrid mistake..."   
  
//Aibou! If you were to kill yourself, how would you do it?!//  
  
/Yami....what kind of question is that?! You aren't going to leave me....are you....?/  
  
//No, never Yugi, but I MUST know!//  
  
/Um....probably do it off a cliff but w-/   
  
Yami cut his light off, no need for questions now. He just hoped Bakura would have the same thoughts as his hikari. Now all he needed to know was the location of the nearest cliff, and in guessing, he started off in the direction Bakura had went. Gratefully, Bakura had been an idiot and stepped in a puddle, or it was SOMETHING to be leaving fresh footprints.  
  
He would find Bakura.  
  
He would set things right.  
  
And hell he would make sure Bakura wouldn't die on him.  
  
******  
"Am I willing to take this so far? To the extent? I came out in the streets in order to make sure Yami wouldn't hurt himself, and I did that, I saved him from whatever that was and what do I get? That feared feeling again. The same I had in Ancient Egypt.....damn......no matter how much I try to push it away, that fall of mine just reborn it," russet eyes gazed down the jagged cliff side, leading into the ocean and shear pain.  
  
It was madness! His plan was pure, suicidal madness!  
  
The yami gulped and he looked forward instead of down, still talking out to the air, afraid that if he tried thinking mentally, he would slip up and pass something over to Ryou.  
  
That couldn't happen.  
  
"Funny.....how my time of death is by one of my greatest fears...."  
  
"Do you fear me, more than that cliff, Bakura?" A voice aligned out softly, matching Bakura's broken tone of voice.   
  
But Bakura hadn't needed to turn around to know who it was. Yami. Which did he fear more? Yami, or the cliff? He lowered his gaze to look down and shivered, muttering out to answer the other. "No."   
  
Yami seemed to be relieved and moved a bit closer, "then come back to Kaiba Corp with me, Bakura..."  
  
"No."  
  
"Please....Bakura...." He stepped closed again and the other turned to face him, eyes red to show he had been crying.  
  
"I said NO! GoodBYE Pharaoh!" Bakura snapped, Yami's eyes going wide as if everything was slow, Bakura's foot moving backwards and falling back. Though, he didn't get far at all. "LET GO!" He cried out, struggling to try and break the death grip Yami had on his wrist, keeping him from falling. "My fate is death, let me except it already!"  
  
"Your fate has never been and never will be death, Bakura! Listen to me, I will not LET you die, I do NOT want you to die! I want you to come back up here and go back to the others WITH me!"  
  
Bakura remained silent, not struggling as much, but it was enough for Yami's grip to begin slipping. "Bakura! Please, don't do this! I don't.....I don't want to get close to losing you again....Ra don't make me drop you! I never wished to on Osiris, do you understand that? It was an accident, I lost hold to you and the same thing is happening now, I don't want that incident to be repeated!"  
  
******  
Ryou was beginning to become worried, looking around at the three Egyptians and Seto. "Is it just me, or is everything breaking apart...?"  
  
"Everlasting darkness can mess with peoples' heads."  
  
Eyes fell on Shadi who only shrugged.  
  
"Well, I for one am worried for my yami," Malik murmured, looking up at the sky. "He's acting really weird, even for himself. And he's losing his evil self. Which, now that I think about it, isn't so bad..."  
  
"I'm worried for my dark half too....I told him to follow Yami to make sure the other doesn't get hurt, but it's kind of been awhile...what if.....what if something bad happened to both of them?"  
  
Isis lifted her gaze slightly. "Why don't you mentally ask him...?"  
  
"He cut me off before he left the building....so I have no idea....how they're doing...."  
  
******  
Bakura stared up at Yami, no longer struggling, but Yami didn't quite pull him up, as if waiting for assurance. Tears were in the other's eyes and Bakura finally gave a nod, that being the kind of signal Yami was waiting for, bringing the other up to the ground before him.  
  
"One more chance."  
  
Yami gave a faint nod. "Alright, but let's get back to Kaiba Corp. I'm sure the others are worried."  
  
"Doubtful."  
  
******  
"How are plans moving along?"  
  
"Very well, Mistress, VERY well. I believe I have the trust of five of them, and two of those five have Millennium Items."  
  
Silhouettes stood in a dark chamber, mist rolling around the floor and the corners of the square room were illuminated by gold lighting. Six figures, all covered in large, old style robes, two at what seemed to be a newly created throne up upon a platform after three stone steps, two standing guard by the only door in the room, one seated in the throne, and one before.   
  
"Only two?! I need five! They cannot cast the counteract spell!"  
  
"Mistress, I assure you, they haven't even figured out how by now. See?" The form before the throne held up a crinkled piece of paper in his palm. "I have taken earlier steps to snag this page from a spell book from the Shadow Realm, they won't be able to figure anything."  
  
"Good to see you can do SOMETHING right, Lenokei. But that doesn't mean that you can screw this fucking up! Go, GO already and get me that puzzle!"  
  
"What about the other items...?"  
  
"The puzzle first! Move before I turn you into a rat and eat you from head to paws to tail!"  
  
"Y-yes, Mistress! Right away I'm g-"  
  
"DAMMIT GO!"  
  
The form, Lenokei (as one name he would go by) rushed from the room, nearly tripping over his robe, but caught himself.   
  
"The puzzle....right...the puzzle..."  
  
******  
Marik shook himself awake, having been asleep on the desk within the office he had broken into. "Dammit!" He hissed, slamming a fist into the desk surface. "Why is it HIM?! Of all people why is it him that I can't keep my mind off?! He's just an idiot! .......Isn't he.......?"  
  
The yami fell back against the smooth wood to stare up at the ceiling and inwardly ponder.  
  
'How come...? How come I continue to feel this way...? It's just....so weird.....it's his fault! I had to wake up in HIS arms! Though....it was pleasing.....and NO! Why do I keep thinking this...MADNESS?! It's just as the Sun Dragon said.....I was only in that position because of myself, not because....he wanted it........'  
  
******  
  
  
  
Aw....man....this story is like Action/Adventure(so not much yet, eheh)/Romance/ANGST. Lots of angst, four charries in that state of mind, lol. But I did actually have SOME plot building, with the "Mistress" and "LENokei." *cough* annnnnnywayyyyy. Um....I had more to say, but now I don't, if I don't have a chapter up by Monday, you won't see one for that week. I'm going to Florida! Rah! Lol... 


	10. Shinrinhakai

Shinrinhakai- Forest destruction  
  
Sorry on slowness, I went ta Florida so I was without the computer, but I wrote four pages at least....  
  
Anyway....here we go again! Umph...I'm running out of ideas for the Shadow Realm part....Hum....bit of a disaster time! I think more action in this chapter than all the others....heh, makes life more fun!  
  
Chapter 10! This is always the chapter that seems like a time for me to celebrate, I'm not sure why, but it's also the number where I throw in the Disclaimer again!  
  
Disclaimer: Bah-ha! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! so NAH XP ya can't go suing me! ::Dances around.:: Ohhh but look! ::Pulls out a long list.:: Buuuut, Lenokei is mine, the "Mistress" is mine, Drazzle is mine, and Shinkou is mine (seen this chap). What? You didn't really EXPECT this whole list to be filled, did you?  
  
Ah, one last thing, I'm still having the Shadow Realm bit in the beginning, but that'll be short and I'll be going back to them again and Marik ish kinda OOC...  
  
"Might I suggest a BIGGER gun?!" -Agent Jay: Men in Black II  
  
******  
"Something is wrong..."  
  
"What is it, brother?"   
  
"I....don't know. Something isn't right...CELTIC!" The Dark Magician snapped his head around, looking out towards the elf swordsman who had just came back into the area after escorting Hyosube out of the realm.   
  
"Hn, yes?" He glanced up, fixing his helm slightly.  
  
"I'm worried...I want you to watch over Yugi, something is going to happen....I can sense it."  
  
"But-" Yugi began, but silenced himself and gave a nod. It was best to let the magician do his work, besides...it was kind of cool being by the elf, it was another one of his monsters, after all. He moved towards the swordsman slowly, trying to figure what had caused the confusion to spread through the realm. He glanced up at the warrior. "Do you know why everyone seems nervous?"  
  
"....Just that something dangerous is coming, what that is, I am unsure of."  
  
******  
"Shinkou!"  
  
"Mistress...?" A form stalked into the dark room, azure eyes catching the light to a set a glimmer through them. His posture showed his dislike to the place, and even more of what was coming to him.  
  
"You know who the Pharaoh's light is, am I right?"  
  
"Hai...I cannot deny it..."  
  
"I want him here. *Now*," she snapped, eyes aflame as her body rotated to face him. Shinkou gave a faltered look, not moving from his location. "This task is not hard to comprehend, Shinkou!"  
  
"Mistress, I...don't know where the boy is..."  
  
"Baka.." her voice growled out low. "Go. That runt of a hikari is in the central area of the Shadow Realm. Hn. And while you're at it..." at the raise of her hand, a card cut through the air and he caught it. "I easily took this trinket from a fool with a little bit of easy magic. Now, make a mess of that silly little place. I want flames. Understand?"  
  
He gave a nod, looking down at the card he held and flinched slightly.  
  
A Blue-Eyes.  
  
******  
"WHERE'S MY BLUE-EYES?!"  
  
"Gee, Kaiba, I never thought you would be one to lose a card," Malik quirked with a smirk. "Especially a Blue-Eyes."  
  
"I DIDN'T lose it!!"  
  
"Oh? Then where is it?  
  
Five sets of eyes shifted towards the moving duo, Yami and Bakura. At the sight, Ryou jumped to his feet, running over quickly. "Yami! What took you two so long!? I was worried! H-" Russet eyes pulled back as he felt his dark half reopen the mental connection.  
  
{What *happened*?}  
  
[You were really worried...?]  
  
{YES!}  
  
Bakura faintly smiled, first time in awhile, but he didn't answer his hikari. He couldn't... Not now anyway. Sharp eyes wandered over the group, Seto's panic, Shadi's meditation, Isis's pointless incantations. An active crew. 'But there were nine...' Again, the deep eyes scouted the roof top, total person count only making seven, including himself.   
  
"Where's Marik and Joey?"  
  
Malik raised his head to the yami. "My dark half is somewhere in the building." He glanced around a moment. "And Joey was up here...probably somewhere in the building too."  
  
"I'm going to go look for him," Yami inquired, turning towards the stairs. Bakura watched him go, rolling his eyes and oddly following afterwards.   
  
******  
Joey stood be the door where Marik hid away.  
  
Thirteen minutes. He had been there for thirteen straight minutes, debating whether to go in or not. His hand hovered over the knob and at last grasped it, pulling open and stepped into the gloomy, dark office. "Marik?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Marik, can I talk ta you...?" Joey pushed on. He didn't need a Millennium Item to know the other was in the room.  
  
"No."  
  
Brown eyes shrank then refocused to where Marik was. A form standing with his back to Joey in a corner.  
  
"MARIK! ...Please....talk ta me..." the blonde bit his lip in a minor panic with the other saying so far a total of one word. "Why are you doing this?! Secluding yourself! Are you jus' tired...?"  
  
'I don't want to be hurt....'  
  
"Is this about that...thing...on the dragon....?"   
  
"Yes...'  
  
"Marik, jus' stop this! Maybe I can't read minds, but I can faces, and I SWEAR you enjoyed it!"  
  
'Maybe...'  
  
"Tell me! Did you, or did you not?!" Joey snapped again, mentally begging the other to face him.  
  
"Why would I tell you?" Marik sneered, voice to Joey, face to the wall 'So you can throw it in my face?!'  
  
"I- because I did and I jus' thought... I jus' though that you......did too...."  
  
Marik turned halfway, looking back at Joey who seemed bent as eyes locked. But the yami turned away and the bent body snapped and fled.  
  
'I don't need my head messed with anymore, Joey...'  
  
******  
"Go my mighty beasts! Rain your terror upon these weaker beings! Blue-Eyes, Red-Eyes, and Blackland Fire dragons!" A voice, Shinkou, chortled darkly, hands spread wide as the three cards spread through the Shadow Realm. "And I want the Pharaoh's light, ALIVE!"   
  
((A/N: I'm lazy to add this in the story. Shinkou is controlling the Blue-Eyes, even though it's Seto's....he just....can.))  
  
Two of the monsters moved out, but the Red-Eyes Black Dragon (not Joey's) was on standby as Shinkou stood between its neck and back. "GO!"  
  
******  
"What's happening?!" Kaji cried out, hands clutching around her staff as a ripping sound of crashes chained together from the distance. Wahei and Merodi stood close near the other in part of the forest surrounding the lake and clearing, the air becoming crisp and deadly.  
  
"Get OUT of here!"  
  
The three turned to the voice, the form of a ragged shirt and hat quickly spiraling through the air at them. Once dead, but now act in the act, the Magical Ghost halted before the spellcasters in a panic. "The whole realm is being attacked!"  
  
"By what...?" Merodi questioned in a flow.  
  
"Ne...three dragons...and...some human. They're destroying everything top to bottom in search of the 'Pharaoh's light.' Hell, I have no idea who that is but I'm taking a hike!" The ghost shifted her direction to the side, started off and yelled back. "If you see Doma, tell her that I'm looking for her, onegai!"  
  
Kaji, Merodi, and Wahei all turned to each other with the same, one thought, "Yugi..."  
  
***  
Yugi hid in the guard of the Celtic Guardian, unable to help or any of the such. It wasn't his battle, though that never mattered in the past.  
  
Flames up rose all around, crimson orbs shooting into the clearing and obliterating its targets. As instinct, the monsters crowded around Yugi in a circle as north of them (and close) landed the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.  
  
"Foolish monsters. I see that hikari! Don't bother hiding him. It'll be easier on you to hand him over! Hn. Come boy, I know you want your friends to live, come with me and save them! Come to me, YUGI MOTOU!"  
  
******  
Joey shuffled his way outside, eyes stung with dry tears. "How can I still care...so much for him...?" He glanced back at the building, unknown in his mind the havoc occurring.   
  
******  
Whatever happened, hit hard. Lenokei broke outside for the rod a Marik instead of after the puzzle, men under the mistress charged inside after Yami and Bakura, men on the roof swarming Isis...it was one hell of a mess.  
  
"Sun Dragon!" Marik yelled out in defense, his beast raising from the card and assuming attack position towards the robed figure.  
  
As the hood dropped, Marik was taken aback by the very sight. "LEN!"  
  
"Mm....did you miss me...? Ah, and it's Lenokei to you."  
  
"How...? But you can't be..." Marik backed up and commanded, or tried, for the dragon to attack, but was cut off.  
  
"Have you heard of the coyote attacks in this fair city?"  
  
"Hai...what does that have to do with anything?!"  
  
"Everything."  
  
At that comment, the canine foes prowled behind and around Lenokei. A total of six coyotes "protecting" the dweller of darkness. "Are you ready to finish your petite command now?" The man hissed, just as the six coyotes were....changing.  
  
\Sun Dragon...\  
  
\\May I?\\  
  
\Hai. *Kill* him.\  
  
Gold wings unraveled, eyes narrowing....  
  
...and a dragon in flight.  
  
No longer on four paws, the canines stood erect, snout twitching as their fur attire became adjusted with suitable armor. Forearms grew a longer and sturdy length, legs firmly stable to the ground and claws growing out, convulsing with an old magic.  
  
The Sun Dragon charged in a deadly wave of power, only stopped frozen in the air.  
  
\What happened?!\  
  
\\Can't.....move...\\  
  
Marik sent a glare at a smirking Lenokei, the coyote-type forms relaxing after shooting unseen magic at the ancient god card.  
  
"What did you do to him?!" As its body became incased in stone, mental connections snapping, and the dragon's body hitting the ground roughly.   
  
"Petrified him."  
  
Marik growled and shot out his hand, a glow surrounding it as he yelled out. "Tachimodoru!" The yami gave a sigh as he held the card, now being defenseless.  
  
******  
"Where are they?"  
  
"Hush, Pharaoh!" Bakura snapped back, peering around a corner down a hall way and pulling his head back in with a sigh. "They're at the end of that hallway. Don't you have ANY means of defense...?"  
  
Yami grunted, leaning on the wall besides Bakura. "The only usable thing I have is Osiris, and unless you want the entire building crashing to the ground, including those on the roof which includes YOUR light, I think the safer matter would be NOT using him."  
  
"Then what, you suggest we just give up the puzzle and ring?!"   
  
"Hell no!" Yami hissed back quietly, staring around and catching sight of an office down the end of the hall they were in and suddenly got an idea. "Well old tomb-robber, you should be able to pick locks now, am I right...?" He questioned out with a smirk, staring from the office to Bakura who half glared back.  
  
"Yes, but why d-"  
  
"Then pick the lock to that door, then I'll explain," Yami said and simply pointed.  
  
Bakura scowled but saw no other option and moved towards the door, kneeling before in and reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box. Yami felt curiosity strike and walked up behind the other to look down at the box. As Bakura opened it, a silver pick and gold thread besides it were within. He pulled out the pick and set the box down, beginning work on the lock.   
  
Yami knelt down and scooped up the box, looking in at the thread within the black velvet lined box. Both the pick and the thread had its own slot. "Eh? What's with the string..?"  
  
"Don't touch that!" The yami snapped, rotating from his work to grab the box from Yami, doing one last twang with the pick in his other hand, hearing the lock click open as he put the pick in the box, closed it up and placed it slowly and safely in his pocket. He stood, not making eye contact again with Yami and entered the dark room, though there was a window, not like it helped though. The silver haired moved infront that very window, hearing Yami click the door behind him. As he looked out and down, all he could see is one street lamp on, not like it lit anything though....they were on the second from top floor, after all. His ring glinted slightly as he pulled out and opened the box again, staring silently into it.   
  
"Eh....look Bakura, I didn't mean anything by picking up that box...." Yami started, walking up besides the other and looking at what he held. "I was just....curious."  
  
"You had no right to touch it!" Bakura snapped, turning towards Yami, the ring's light shining off his glassed over eyes.  
  
"Bakura- what's so important about it...? It's a piece of string!"  
  
"It's thread! A golden thread from Egypt! The ONLY thing I have memory of my mother and you have no right questioning it like it was nothing!"   
  
"You...had a mother?" Yami asked stupidly.  
  
"I was born now, wasn't I?!" Bakura turned back towards the window, closing the small box and gripping it within both hands. "She left when I was very young...chased away by my father....leaving me with it, the thread that is...." He couldn't figure why he was explaining his past to Yami, didn't really care actually, the gears had turned and locked, he couldn't keep the memories blocked up in a walled room anymore. "At age eleven, I finally got tired of being abused by my father and left my home to the streets, that was where I spent my tormented life until YOU sealed me away into this cursed ring..." his eyes dropped to stare at the ring, clouded. "My life would have been easier to live if it wasn't for your damn guards..."  
  
******  
"Stay there, Yugi!" Waizu yelled out over the roar of Shinkou's Blackland Fire Dragon, which joined besides the Red-Eyes. The Witch of the Black Forest stood firm besides the magician, staring as if hope were fading. "Where's my sister?!" He snapped out towards Yuumei, who just shook her head with no idea. His right hand held tight to his staff, feeling its energy rise as he yelled out with it pointed towards Shinkou. "DARK MAGIC ATTACK!"  
  
"Fool."  
  
The magician backed up in shock as a second attack from nowhere crossed before him and blew his attack to the ground. Yugi and the monsters stared up in surprise as the last dragon join the other two, the Blue-Eyes, landing on the other side of the Red-Eyes. "Isn't he just lovely..?"  
  
"B-but...there are only three of those left! Kaiba has all three, and even if you did get it, you couldn't control it!" Yugi yelled out in panic.   
  
"Oh really now? Blue-Eyes! I command you to attack that rat besides the boy!"   
  
Yugi looked down at the Prevent Rat by his feet, trying to protect him and back at the dragon who was already charging an attack.   
  
Kuroi's eyes shifted to look out at him and cried loudly. "Yugi, get out of the way, you'll be hit too!"  
  
"I have him!" Celtic voiced back, grabbing Yugi and jumping to the side before the boy knew what was happening. But he knew what he saw. The rat being devoured by the bolting blue-white attack.   
  
"NEZU!!" Yugi wailed out, as nothing was left in the monster's place.  
  
"Now...who's next.....who shall be annihilated next...?" Shinkou pondered loudly, rubbing his chin as he examined his azure eyes over the crowd of monsters. He caught sight of the house in the back of them, the house that had more books than anyone could ever have. And he chuckled. How fun his job was. Shinkou's hand lifted, index finger shooting out to point down at Kuroi. "My Red-Eyes....I want you to destroy that house back there.....and Blue-Eyes? Use your White Lightning on that witch!"  
  
"NO! Stop it, please!" Yugi begged, trying to break free of the Celtic Guardian's grip around him. "Don't hurt anyone else! I beg you! DON'T!"  
  
Shinkou ignored him as the two commanded attacks were already launched from the jaws of the dragons, one crimson and orange, one blue and white. Heat could be felt off the now burning cabin, catching on the trees around the clearing and lake sending a ring of uproar flames like an arena around them.   
  
The Dark Magician attacked against Seto's dragon, trying to block the attack heading for Kuroi, but did not prevail. Hopelessly he watched as the witch was overcome by the lightning and done away with just as Nezu. He stood, shaken, oblivious to everything else as the truth of her death sank in.  
  
"Should I start a line now of who to kill...?" He raised a brow and smirked. "I mean really though, you've already lost five of your monster friends, how sad. Oh boo hoo, watch me cry."  
  
"F-five....?!" Celtic coughed out in shock, losing grip to Yugi at last. "No, Yugi!"  
  
"Let's see now.... That rat, the witch..." He glanced at his Red-Eyes a moment, as if seeking the rest of the information. "Right. The Magician of Faith, seems she has none to give you now, the Mystical Elf, and.....oh right! *His* little sister. The Dark Magician Girl!" He laughed out as Waizu's face waned. "Would you like to join her, little magician...? I can make you burn to death like her.." His voice crackled as an arm raised, readying to give the signal for the Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes to attack, but a certain tri-haired crossed into vision infront of Waizu. "And what do you want, boy?!"  
  
"Stop it! Stop hurting and killing my friends! I'll come with you, just leave them alone!"   
  
"Oh....goody!" He murmured sarcastically and sent a side glance to the Blackland. "My precious, take this boy and we can be on our way."  
  
Its head loomed into the air as Yugi ran forward before the Dark Magician could grab him, the dragon's head ducking back down to grab the back of Yugi's jacket and pulled him off the ground.   
  
Waizu held to the staff, panicking as he attacked the dragon taking Yugi, but again the attack was tossed to the ground by the guarding Blue-Eyes. "YUGI! No, don't take him!"   
  
"So long! Ta-ta! Ja you little monsters!" Shinkou mocked and waved as they could do nothing while the Blue-Eyes was held in his control. "Oh, but a parting gift is in order...hn....now what shall I give you....OH! Ha, I know!"  
  
"No!! Don't hurt them anymore! You have me, you have ME!" Yugi saw what was coming, yet could do nothing. It was painful to watch as Kaiba's own Blue-Eyes White Dragon was instructed to put an end to Ryu-Kishin, the monster who brought Yugi to the Shadow Realm in the first place. It was painful to watch as Shinkou's Red-Eyes Black Dragon set fire to more and more of the area around his friends. And it was painful to feel the Blackland Fire Dragon take him away, unable to help. He couldn't help his friends anymore, and now he couldn't even help himself.  
  
******  
Joey turned back towards the Kaiba Corp building he had tried to get away from, how hopeless that was. He knew something just was drawing him there, and he did find out why. Eyes caught sighting of a gold glow he knew well to be of the God of the Sun, Dragon Ra, but instead of forming, he could make out a stoned form fading, obviously as a card.   
  
His pupils shrank as a thought hit him. 'If the Sun Dragon was out....that means Marik is outside.....but if the dragon looked like it was useless and was summoned back as a card....Marik is defenseless to whatever may be happening...'  
  
The boy bit his lip and lowered his head, hair slipping over his eyes and he choked out a word as he ran back towards the building. "Marik..."  
  
******  
The mentioned yami fell against the ground, eyes narrowing to glare at the smirking Lenokei, but soon altered direction to the coyote form that had struck him down by a claw. "What, you aren't liking my little games with your strained body..?" His brow raised mockingly, arms folding over his torso as he chuckled, calling back the canine that had been hitting Marik until the other became fallen. "Fine, fine, what do you say we wrap this up then? You become dead, I receive your Millennium Rod....no worries! Oh...and I'll be sure that this is as PAINFUL as possible!"   
  
A croaked laugh reached Joey's ears as he came in good range to the battle, gaping at the sight as four of six creatures were storming together spherical attacks between their claws. The blonde fell forward, catching himself before hitting the ground and continue to run in.   
  
"Oh come now! Get off that dirty ground! You want to die as if you fought to the death, don't you? Not this pathetic person you're displaying to me now.." But Marik didn't move and Lenokei simply shrugged. "By the way, you'll still live after this....sadly only all six of my furry friends can kill you. Now I told my mistress I'd be back soon but it's too fun to have you suffer! Attack my four fiends!" His voice finally lashed out, position of body changing as he shot his hand to point out at Marik, who was just rising to his feet as he saw the four spheres join as one attack and move towards him.   
  
"No one is suffering!!!!!"   
  
Marik reeled back as a form stood, arms out stretched infront of him by a few yards, it becoming a silhouette due to the engulfing of the attack. Silence ensued and the figure fell to him knees, the yami feeling a clutch against his heart as he ran to kneel by the form, shaking him in a panic. "JOEY!!"  
  
******  
"Kaiba! What are you doing?!" Isis yelled, watching Seto jump before the group of men, one silver robed form standing before the other two, the rest dressed in a black. The silver robed man, holding out three cards in his hand.  
  
"He wants a duel, I can tell! Is that it, you want to duel me?!" Kaiba yelled back and the man merely chuckled.  
  
"If you mean duel for your lives, than I guess so."  
  
"Fine, we can use my duel system!"  
  
"Oh no, no, no, see....*I* have the advantage here. This little game is using my rules, but I doubt you can play, because I know a lowly human like you cannot summon monsters in your own world," the man mumbled, hand grazing over the three cards in his hand as if trying to decide on something. Seto stepped back without a clue now, staring at his pocket which stored his deck. Useless at the moment. "Flame Cerebrus! Gazelle, King of Mythical Beasts....come before me!"  
  
"Ok...we're doomed...." Malik murmured, backing up with the others.  
  
"Hyosube, Giltia!"  
  
"Eh?" Malik blinked over as Shadi stepped forward, two monsters of his own coming to his side.  
  
"You want a battle of monsters, then let's have it. Hyosube, stay back, Giltia, destroy Gazelle!"   
  
The silver robed watched as one monster was down, but his pyro creature was already charging at Giltia to finish the job. "Is that the best you can do? Your monsters are weaker than mine!"  
  
"Really now? And I thought they were stronger?" Shadi mocked, flicking a card out as it sank within his warrior. Before the other men knew what hit them, both their monsters were destroyed. "Seems Giltia was strong enough." He summoned the three cards back to their normal form, the Sword of the Deep-Seated in the front of the collection as he slid them into his pocket. "Get out of here, now, whoever you all are."  
  
"You....bastard...." the man lowered his hood and grimaced. "But no....I am not leaving....my mission will not fail....I'm having a good time anyway...." He moved into a line with the other two men, taking a card from one of them. "You're in a perfect place too. Trap Hole!" The building crumpled down in formation, destroying the top floor and trapping them in a hole of the debris.   
  
The robed man moved smoothly over to it, taking out another card that formed the Sword of Dark Destruction into his palm as he pointed it down into the hole. "Surrender the Tauk and Ankh and no one will be harmed."  
  
******  
"Joey! Joey wake up!" Marik stared down at the bruised boy, still shaking him but it wasn't as hard. He was about to go into a panic when the blonde below him ached forward in the motion of a cough, helped to be sat up by the yami. "Why the hell did you do that?!"  
  
"I told you........I care...." He murmured back, hardly audible.  
  
"That was stupid though!" Marik hissed, beginning to think maybe Joey wasn't pulling his strings earlier. "You could have been killed!"  
  
"He would have killed you....and gotten the rod...."  
  
The yami realized the logic and stood up over the boy, glaring at Lenokei who was utterly surprised at the moment. He growled and reached into his pocket, stretching his arm back out to the side and flipping the card over so he could see the image of the ancient beast. 'Time to wake up sleeping beauty....' Marik thought to himself, throwing the card straight up as it awakened again to a fully healed dragon.  
  
\You feeling up to flying?\  
  
\\Hai.\\  
  
\Good.\ Marik glanced back at Joey's weak form and felt his mind soften, but he shook the feeling and ordered over the link. \Then take Joey into the air and keep him safe! Understand? Do not bring him back no matter WHAT.\  
  
\\Understood.\\   
  
Marik lifted Joey into his arms and held the boy out, handing him off quickly to the dragon's back and the beast arose back into the sky to look over the battle, trial two. "How dare you hurt that boy..."  
  
"Ohhh....I'm just so scared of you, but I'll be-"  
  
"Oh you should be scared, damned as hell you should be," Marik's voice echoed, third eye flickering over his forehead before burning fully into place. The yami stepped forward some, stopping with fists clenched at his side as a circular bit of light shone beneath where he stood. He smirked, gathering power to form up around his body, a pillar of hieroglyphics, scathing the air as they spun around him rapidly, moving high into the sky. "I'll show you, that you have a lot to fear, Lenokei. I swear by it."  
  
******  
  
  
  
Weird way to end the chapter, but I figured it was good to stop at Marik's rage, heh, gotta love it. And poor Bakura, he's having issues....and then we have the group on the roof of Seto, Isis, Shadi, Ryou, and Malik all stuck in a hole with no way out o.O;;. Man, life just SUCKS for 'em. A-and in the Shadow Realm! So much FLAMMMMEEEE and deaths and Yugi is CAPTURED! Heheh, how I love this fic..... 


	11. Osoroshii

Osoroshii- Frightening  
  
I got a jump into this chapter from watching Boy Meets World. Gods, that was such a good show! Starry Night episode....not like anyone may care, but ANYWAY. Heh. I think I'll just start typing, let's watch the roller coaster go downhill! But, you all wanted Yami/Bakura? Not much, but hell they are close.  
  
"If you want it to be a date, don't look up, if you do look up, I'll be looking back at you." -Ricky: Boy Meets World  
  
******  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm supposed to panic now, ne?" Lenokei merely smirked as Marik's face twisted. The Mistress's servant chuckled, raising an arm again and directing it out to the yami. "My six fiends, combine your p-" the Egyptian stopped and backed up a bit, the six beings staring at him for a command but Lenokei lost his words in his eyes.   
  
Marik's gaze diverted as well to a form before his feet, shock ensued.   
  
******  
Up from above, the sun dragon kept near so the yami was safe in sight. Joey weakly clung to its back, noticing how Lenokei moved back and finally found the reason why. Drazzle had arrived on the scene, standing with its frill shaking with a protecting energy.   
  
"Drazzle...."  
  
******  
Lenokei sneered, regaining his posture slowly, adjusting his mind before commanding the six to attack without a second thought. But it was told to only hit Marik, not the lizard.  
  
"Marik! Get outta da way!" Joey yelled down, clutching his hands to the dragon and crying out to it. "You gotta help him! You hafta! He's gonna get killed!"  
  
The dragon made a deep sound, that Joey was somehow able to understand and interpreted it as "I can't". It made the blonde angry, and was about to yell again when a sliver of gold caught his vision and he looked back at the battle. The yami now was supporting his body with one leg, holding a bleeding arm and hardly holding his composure. The energy about him, the ancient spells and Egyptian eye had all died down, but something else to the area was different.... only one of the coyote forms was left. That, and Lenokei.   
  
"Well....look who's stronger now...."   
  
"You aren't very strong looking at all," Lenokei shot back, yelling for the remainder of his forces to attack, but it didn't look too promising to go out for it. "I said attack!"  
  
Drazzle came into view again and the dark servant found himself in an awkward position, for attacking this time....there would be no safety for the frilled being. "You've won for now, Ishtar....but I'll be back, SWEAR by it!" And he was gone in a simple turn, the creature he had manipulated shifting back as a normal four-legged coyote, scampering off in confusion until called again.  
  
******  
Yami seemed to go silent again, finding no good in trying to calm Bakura. What was the POINT anymore? He just couldn't get anything right with the other, and it was ALWAYS his fault for their arguments! There was just....no point.....  
  
The former ruler started as he heard noises in the hallway, without thinking reaching over and slapping a hand over Bakura's mumbling mouth and holding the other close in hope he wouldn't struggle. But the tomb-robber was more than agitated by the method and did try pulling away until he too heard the sounds.   
  
"-at oo we oo?" He was able to mumble against Yami's hand, starting to feel panic arise. Yami's eyes danced around the room, finally coming to a rest on the window. He (much to his own surprise) found a reluctant feeling to pull away from the other, and SWORE he heard a small whimper of the loss of contact, but pushed it from his mind. At the moment, both their lives were on the line. "They're getting closer.." Bakura hissed out in a whisper, eyes Yami as the other tried forcing the window open, he finally took a near lamp and first pushed Bakura away before allowing the lamp and glass to contact. And how good that worked, except for the fact that a few random bits of shards cut against his skin and he started to cry out in a sign of alarm, but bit his lip to stop the sound.   
  
It was obvious the new rang of sounds set something off and the men hunting the two down were at the office door trying to break down the door. Yami turned from the window and stared at Bakura, to the window at the large drop, then back to the other. "Bakura, you're going to hate me for these words, but we're going to have to jump."  
  
The other's features shifted to horror, as Yami expected, but they were running out of time. "Bakura listen, you're just going to have to trust me! I'm NOT going to allow you to get hurt, please, please, please, just listen to me! I will tell you when to jump, I will go out first, I assure you again, you will not be harmed!"  
  
Bakura observed Yami and heard the door crash down, Yami didn't wait for an answer, but he clambered over the shards and pushed out the window, mentally begging for Bakura to listen. As he was able to turn in the air and see the silver-haired robber up through the window, he felt a sting of guilt, reaching into his pocket and yelling up loudly. "NOW BAKURA!!!"  
  
******  
The yami left in the building kept hold to his dignity when he felt a cut across his collar in the process of jumping. He hated this. He hated every bit of this and he had no idea why he was trusting Yami. But at that moment, of feeling the searing, burning notion on his upper body, he was glad he took the plunge, even more glad when he saw Osiris. Yami had planned that, he had planned to jump ahead of Bakura and ready to card. He planned taking the longer of the fall, so Bakura wouldn't.   
  
The red fiend swooped past the white blur, and came around him again so Bakura was safely. Bakura slouched forward, gripping his shoulder, eyes clenched and Yami immediately spun around in shock. "Holy shit! Bakura, w-what happened?!" The other paid no heed to answer and some whacked out corner of Yami's mind took over, embracing the bleeding and shaking other tightly in an inner fear for him. "Relax....relax....the arm will heal...it'll be f-" Yami's comfort speech halted and his eyes widened, pulling away from Bakura to look at the other in his "ashamed" state, not wanting Yami to see him like this. But that wasn't what caused Yami to ponder. His eyes narrowed and as they moved away from Kaiba Corp, he looked back at the building, the very room they escaped from with an angered glare.   
  
Bakura looked up and noticed this and simply murmured a 'what' solemnly.  
  
The former Pharaoh just looked back at him, not sure how to answer so he remained silent, causing Bakura to become more demanding.  
  
"Tell me, Yami. What. Is. It."  
  
"......They have your ring......"   
  
******  
"Boss, just pick one and we can leave, a'right?" One of the black clothed men hissed out to the robed form, who gave a nod.   
  
"Give me a card," he signaled to the silent one, who nodded and pulled out something, slipping it into the leader's palm. The sword he held twisted around and after a mental game of eeny-meenie-miny-mo, pointed the sword in the hold to signal at Isis. "You. You have a Millennium Item. The Tauk. I see it, easy as daylight, even in this forever lasting darkness. Your item," the man signaled to Shadi. "Yours will be spared. Grateful is what you should be....but back to you, woman." The figure held the card to his eyes the man had given him and laughed, a dark, hearty grown laugh as the card hovered from his hands above the hole, his voice awakening it. "Shadow Spell."  
  
"Isis!" Malik cried as chains broke from the card and ensnared his sister, raising her from the hole and holding her bound body in range of the silver robed man.   
  
"So easy. You make this so easy, woman. My mistress will be pleased by the work here today. We have the ring, and now..." his hand flicked up and snapped the Tauk from her neck easily. "And now we have this precious toy. Tootles!" He laughed out, slipping the item into his pocket to turn and lead the other men through the shadows till they departed the lower realm. With them gone, the activated Trap Hole and Shadow Spell card failed to hold and broke down, leaving a pile of people in place.  
  
******  
"Finally.....my wishes are all coming true Rekanna!"  
  
"I told you they would, Mistress."  
  
The girl shifted from where she stood be her "throne" to look at the robed woman before her. The mistress raised a brow than gave a sigh.  
  
"I know," she whispered back to Rekanna, shaking her head with a light chuckle as she returned to pacing. "I just never believed you would have been so right..."  
  
***Flashback***  
"Are you ok, young one...?"  
  
In a room of the ancient Egyptian palace, one High Priestess stood crouched over a wounded slave, bandaging the pains and bruises.  
  
"H-Hai.....I believe....." The young slave clutched her fists together, shouting out through the shade. "I hate him! I hate that Pharaoh! J-just because I'm a slave....doesn't mean he can treat me like a punching bag!"  
  
"Shh.....relax, I promise you can get your revenge in the future if you just keep up with my lessons of darkness."  
  
"What do you mean....? How can my shadow powers turn to be so strong, when they're so....weak...?"  
  
Rekanna smirked lightly, helping the other sit up. "In this time, the Shadow Games will become sealed away and some chosen souls as well. The Pharaoh's is one of them. Believe me, Ayane, by the time you become awakened in the future....your Shadow powers will have increased so strong by that time, you will have no one that can bring you to a downfall. Not even the Pharaoh."  
  
The slave perked up at those words and developed a dark smirk of her own.  
  
"But."  
  
Attention was drawn back.  
  
"The Millennium Items can stop you, can stop your darkness. If five are held at different locations of the world, then all your practicing will be for nothing."  
  
"The Millennium Items...?"  
  
***End Flashback***  
The mistress sneered, sensing the men she had sent to do her dirty work, returning. "But I have them now, or enough to keep the power short.... I have the ring, the Tauk, and...." her eyes grayed and looked to a corner of the room at a small cage, a form locked unconsciously within it. "....and the boy with the puzzle...."  
  
******  
Joey leaned against the dragon and again begged it to land, this time it complied and stayed off to the side as the blonde stumbled towards the yami. "Marik...."  
  
\\Master...? Are you alright....?\\  
  
\Fine......I'm....fine......just used all of my energy....\  
  
The Sun Dragon tilted its massive head as Joey collapsed to his shins besides Marik, a sight that would be great on film.  
  
\\He really DOES care for you...\\  
  
\I know...\ The yami felt himself smile, one thing that would have used to be so out of his character, but it didn't really matter anymore. Not here. Not in this earthly realm that was becoming more spooked than the Shadow Realm on its darkest days. He raised his eyes to the blonde, hearing the hard breathing and then feeling the other through his arms around the yami.   
  
"Joey..."  
  
"What the hell were you thinking, you could have been killed, I have no idea where you got that power, but I really wish you would have just let me help!"  
  
"But you did."  
  
"Wha...?" Joey raised a brow, pulling away from his short embrace he had to the other, the thought of the other not wanting it OR him sinking in his mind. But the space between the two didn't last as Marik leaned tiredly against the now surprised blonde's chest.  
  
"You gave me all that power, even if you didn't know it."  
  
******  
The new information caused a pit to form in Bakura's stomach as he stared at the empty placing where the ring would be. Yami wasn't lying, the ring was indeed gone and now it made sense why he had been cut near the neck. To cut the string of his Millennium Item. Again the yami was growing shaky, with everything getting hard to just stay with his old attitude.   
  
It was long gone now. No matter what he did, it was gone down the pipes and he was just going down the drain, alone.  
  
Yami was off in his own world currently, trying to contact Yugi with no success. 'What happened to you aibou....'  
  
"Yami..." Bakura finally choked out, body wavering as he caught Yami's attention.  
  
"Bakura...you ok....?"   
  
The other fell forward, energy weakening as Yami caught the other before he slipped off the still airborne Osiris. "Bakura! What is it?! What's WRONG?!" The Pharaoh began moving into a panic, almost feeling the one he held lose consciousness.  
  
"I can't......go on......anymore like......like this......"  
  
And the other's mind did go out cold.  
  
******  
  
  
  
BAH HAH! That ending DID have a really big point! Trust me.  
  
Sorry on character OOCness, I cannot keep Marik in character, I could in the BEGINNING, but now....gods, how do you give the yami feelings and keep him all....evil? Lol. And Bakura is just plain OOC but it fits, really it does. Don't believe me? Ah....no fair. He's a mentally injured reincarnated yami. That simple XD  
  
Umm....I was going to say something else.....kuso.....OH! Something about the mistress....but I can't remember.....meh....ja, for now. ::Too lazy to edit.:: 


	12. Nigosan

Nigo-san- Mistress  
  
Gee, what a nice title, ne? Hey. It fits. ::Shrug.::   
  
Disclaimer: Meh....I have to put this up again. First off, normal blurb of me not owning YGO, and I don't own the "paper method" I call, from Stephen King's The Dark Half. If you don't know, don't worry, lol. Hm....I do own my wad of evil people though: Shinkou, Lenokei, Rekanna, and Ayane (the Mistress).   
  
(Blah)- words written on Yami's paper from other person..  
  
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." -Frank Herbert: Dune   
  
******  
Another monster was brought down by flame, Tsubasa, the Punished Eagle. Shinkou had left the realm a mess, the remaining monsters either too stunned to stop the flames, or just plain unable to.   
  
"Waizu! Isn't there any quick spell you can do?!" Yuumei yelled over the roars and thunders of the growing orange. But the magician was both trapped narrowly and broken over the loss of The Witch of The Black Forest. He had cared for her..... a lot....  
  
"Waizu! You're the only one who can do anything!" Celtic now snapped, falling to the ground with the heat becoming too great, the minor bit of fresh land they had left, was diminishing too quickly for any good.  
  
"There's nothing I can DO now, Celtic! It's over, I can't fight the flames back!"  
  
"But I can!" A voice rose, a form able to be seen over the flames, twirling about and chanting as forth, a summoning. "Water Omotics! Come forth!" At the command, the aqua mermaids arose from the rims of the current flame, everywhere, listening to the one that summoned them and using what would normally be an attack, to put out the flame. Slowly, it did die away, and the monsters dissipated as well. The last remaining bit of fire, became crushed to nothing under an armor clad foot, the one who had been in the air finally making a landing. Faintly she smiled, the Dark Magician Girl.  
  
"Wahei!" Both Yuumei and the brother of this girl ran over, Celtic taking a slower time to make sure Kuriboh and Silver Fang were in one piece before he too, went to see what happened. "H-He said you were dead!"  
  
"I should be dead, brother...." her head tilted downwards in sadness. "I should be....but the others saved me. We were in the forest, me, Kaji, and Merodi.....the flame had started after a short time when we had seen dragons fly overhead, and knew that something had happened here. But the flame closed in on us and we couldn't do a thing.... Merodi used the last of her energy to create a barrier around my body and Kaji healed me, saying that I had to come here. And I did....alone....."  
  
Celtic bit his lip awkwardly and broke the long silence that had arose. "So the others.....are dead....?"  
  
"Hai..."  
  
******  
"Is it all set up?"  
  
"Hai, Mistress, the spell for luring the Saint Dragon to the house you requested should be working at any time."  
  
"Good.....Take a break, Shinkou, you have done admirably well today. It's so nice to have a pet hikari in the room." She smirked to the dark corner of the room, the small cage still silent as the young Motou had lost consciousness due to the smoke in the Shadow Realm. The mistress waved off the dark servant and moved to a side of her "throne room", hand fumbling over the glowing Millennium Ring that rested around her neck. Oh how much fun she was having with it! Just having the Millennium Items from the true owners was nice, but able to manipulate them......that was even better....  
  
She sat at a desk, picking up a pencil and writing darkly the words: Pick up the pencil.  
  
******  
"Bakura.....BAKURA! Wake up! Ra....what happened..." Yami's mind was set amiss, still shaking the other in hope of this being some sick joke of the past tomb-robber. He finally stopped his means of help and held the other tight, his own eyes closed as he felt Osiris descending towards something, causing Yami to look back.  
  
The monster's decision seemed a good one, to land so the two of the spirits could rest. Of all buildings to chose though, it seemed to be an odd choice. From the outside, there were only about four rooms. But it was something, and currently, Yami found to be safe....if Bakura would to wake when they were in the air, Yami would be afraid of him panicking.   
  
At the landing, Yami summoned Osiris back as a card and slipped it in his pocket, eying Bakura a moment before picking the other up in his arms, feeling oddly protective of the other. He entered into the one floor housing, finding two bedrooms, a bed in each, a small kitchen, and a den sort of thing. The pharaoh set Bakura in a bed of one of the rooms.  
  
He drew himself into the den, curiously sitting at the desk and turning on a lamp upon it, eyes faced down to what was seemingly a piece of parchment, a pencil lay aside to it. Four words caught his eyes and pushed a command through his mind, picking up the pencil....as the four words commanded.  
  
Yami felt a surge flow over his hand, not his work as his hand moved to someone's will, writing upon the paper.  
  
(Who are you?)  
  
Yami faltered, his hand having control again when he looked at the words, but his mind seemed to force him to write back an answer on the same sheet of paper.  
  
I am the King of Games.  
  
(Are you now?)  
  
Yes....and....you are..?   
  
(An old *friend*.)  
  
How am I talking to you?  
  
(On a piece of paper.)  
  
I'm not brain dead.  
  
(My mistake, I was sure you were.)  
  
Yami glared as he finished off that sentence, brow twitching in anger, sure he could control what HE wrote, but whoever this person on the other side of the conversation was, controlled his hand to write his/her words. Was it the same when Yami wrote to the other? That the person's hand was controlled by him...?  
  
(Humans make good pets, Pharaoh. Did you know that..?)  
  
What does THAT mean?!  
  
(Especially short ones.)  
  
His eyes widened. "Yugi..." Body shut into a panic, staring at the page and trying to determine a way to find the culprit that seems to have his lighter half as a hostage.  
  
Who are you!? Where's my hikari!?  
  
(Dear, dear....you have other things to worry of. Like the keeper of the ring, except...right now, I am the keeper. He should be waking again now.)  
  
How do you know all this?! Wait....you have the ring...   
  
"No..." Yami tore himself from the desk, ripping the paper in half and cracking the cursed pencil as he ran towards the room he had left Bakura. "Whoever that was planned this....they knew we'd be here and wanted to mock me of having Yugi and the ring...." The pharaoh moved into the room just as Bakura's body became dosed in a golden glow and a heart retching scream was unleashed from his mouth. "Gods....Bakura!"  
  
******  
"Is everyone all right...?" Shadi's voice echoed, in ears, and back out as if nothing was heard. The guardian glanced around as Seto helped Isis to her feet and Malik assisted Ryou. The silver-haired watched as the world spun, helplessly he fell back to his knees.  
  
"They have the Tauk now..."  
  
"We'll get it back, sis'..." Malik tried speaking reassuringly, trying now that things calmed down to contact his other, but failed to do so. "What the hell?!"  
  
"What's wrong now?" Seto scoffed at the other, noting Ryou's facial features were now similar to Malik's. "Correction, what's wrong with BOTH of you?"  
  
They looked at the CEO, unnoticeably speaking the same words to him. "I can't contact my yami." Eyes turned to one another and they blinked, sighed, and stared down hopelessly as Shadi took on the role of talking.  
  
"Someone must be purposely blocking the mental links of you all. That would require strong magic....which isn't a surprise considering the people we've had to deal with lately. But it also takes a great deal of power to summon monsters in this world...and they did it without a second thought..."  
  
"But you could do it, Shadi," Ryou spoke up, trying to stand again but that resulted in his body toppling again.   
  
"Hai, but it drained my energy, their strength hardly even diminished."   
  
******  
"Bakura.....Bakura snap out of it....come on, who's doing this to you?!" Yami had moved besides the bed, leaning over it and softly trying to wake Bakura, who had stopped screaming, but his eyes were fused shut and he was crying out in pain every so often, trembling greatly.  
  
"Make her stop...........make her stop doing this......" the silver-haired murmured weakly, wishing he wasn't in this jam right now.  
  
"Bakura, who is 'she'?"  
  
"I-I don't know......just help......make her stop......make it all stop!" His voice raised and Yami bit his lip, knowing Bakura would kill him later, but right now the other needed comfort badly. Yami climbed upon the small bed and took Bakura in a cradling position in his arms, running a hand unconsciously through the locks of hair to try and get the other to relax. It just seemed too hopeless.   
  
"What is she doing to you..?"  
  
"The ring.....she's using the ring somehow.........."  
  
"Good, that helps plenty, Bakura," Yami brightly spoke, holding a palm of his hand against Bakura's forehead, closing his eyes and beginning to chant as a radiating energy enveloped around the two, the Eye of Ra lighting over Yami's forehead and puzzle shaking with the power. "O deus do Ra, protege ser que eu prendo aqui agora da mágica antiga que causa o dano a ele. Faça exame de meus possuem a potência e  
racham-na, entregam-nos a metade a ser thy e trazem-lhe a segurança!"   
  
The glow died down and something snapped in Bakura, causing him to lean forward as energy streamed through him. He felt Yami slowly pull away, and when he looked behind himself to the other, he gasped.  
  
Yami collapsed.  
  
"He gave his energy to me...." the other paused, "Why the hell would he do a stupid thing like that?! To me..." Bakura held his hand to his forehead, feeling a burning sensation still there from Yami's spell. The yami stood off the bed, looking down over at the fainted other and making his hand into a fist before leaving the room, moving into the den. "Why do I even CARE?! I should just leave him here now..." His voice trailed off when he picked up the two halves of the torn paper and stuck them together, reading over the paper discussion Yami had had with someone.   
  
"So the woman has Yugi and my ring....damn her....."  
  
"I'm sorry...."  
  
Bakura spun around clumsily to face Yami who had just entered the room. "I tried to stop them....I didn't think they'd get the ring....and I didn't think I could be tricked so easily!" Bakura jumped at the sound of an aggravated fist connecting against a wall. There was a pause, Yami's blank gaze showing he was in deep thought before he spoke up again, emotion dead. "I've screwed up a count of five times..." He started turning away from the other, putting it all into perspective. "I couldn't stop this to begin with. I lost Yugi. I lost the ring. I lost Yugi again. And I..." His body tensed as he began walking towards the door. "....and I almost lost you."  
  
Bakura rose a brow at the comment, and the current state Yami was sinking in, starting towards the lost minded one. "Where do you think you're going, Yami?!"  
  
"Away."  
  
"What?!"   
  
"Before I cause more trouble."  
  
******  
"Wake up, runt."  
  
A clatter ran through the room of the mistress, her foot kicking into the cage holding Yugi, causing the boy to stir. "Ah, good....I was beginning to think that you were dead."  
  
"W-why do you want me...?" Yugi rasped, keeping as far back from the woman as possible. To look upon her felt like a sin, the dark gaze that she set upon him retching to the inner soul and making a person want to rip their very eyes out just to keep from seeing it. Soft, sweet, but a dark tint hidden to kill.   
  
"Oh don't worry, boy. You're just here to bait the Pharaoh into coming."  
  
"He wouldn't! He'll know it's a trap and not come!"  
  
"Don't be so sure. He has other reasons to come here too..." Ayane smirked, causing the ring to shortly glow and she pulled out the Tauk from a robe pocket before setting it back away. "And when he gets here, you will slowly DIE before his very disgraced eyes."  
  
******  
"Yami! Get back here!" Bakura hissed, finally bringing Yami's run to a halt by tightly grabbing the other's arm and spinning him around. "You aren't helping anyone by running from your problems!"  
  
The former ruler was silent, struggling and almost breaking away from Bakura until his free arm was also enticed by Bakura's fingers. "Let me go now, Bakura!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why the hell not?!" Yami cried out, staring at Bakura who paid no heed to loosen his grip, or even speak out, causing Yami to beg pathetically again. "Why....not...."  
  
"Because you're crazed."  
  
The struggle occurred again to try and break from Bakura, failing terribly and only being pulled closer to the other. A clouded gaze made from Bakura caused Yami to stop his thrashing.  
  
Bakura gave a sigh of relief. "Now we are BOTH going to go back to make sure the others are all right, ok...?"  
  
"No..."  
  
The silver hung his head a bit and released Yami, but the other was hardly able to relax as a sting fell over his cheek and he raised a shaky hand to the abused and reddened area that Bakura slapped.   
  
"Hell, will you fucking snap out of it Phar- YAMI! Look at yourself, you don't even care what's has or probably is happening to your FRIENDS! All you seem to care about right now is how you've screwed up! But hell.....hell we all have....even....me...."   
  
"How...?"  
  
"I let you down."  
  
"Are you insane?! You've hardly let me d-"  
  
"Look up Yami!" Bakura snapped out each word, watching intently as Yami raised his eyes into the blackness to see a form flocking in the air.  
  
"The Emerald Dragon..."  
  
"We've been stalked," the other spat in discuss. He shook his head, clearing his tangled mind and coming to a quick decision. "Yami, get back to the others, help them because they NEED you... I can't fail myself again..."  
  
"What're you t-" Yami fell back against the ground, arms held around his stomach in pain and looking up at the culprit, shaking his head in confusion at Bakura. "......Why...?"  
  
"Sorry Yami, but we both have our matters to attend to." Those were Bakura's leaving words, the silver hair caught sight of the Emerald Dragon again, running into the distance where it was and using his magic so he stood out like a Christmas tree and lured the dragon to him.   
  
Yami watched, still trying to breath, his magic signature lessening from the hit Bakura gave him. He could see clearly the tomb-robber taken with grace in a claw of the dragon and the beast rising into the sky to be gone. "Bakura.....you idiot!!!!"  
  
******  
Rekanna reentered to the throne room after a time of absence, tugging on a chain attached to a hand tied form behind her. "Ayane, I bring a gift to you. I was able to hunt him down with ease." She threw the tied form to the ground before the throne, smirking at the Mistress's face brightened. "But I could sense none other with him."  
  
"No matter.... but you brought to me the original possessor of this ring! Rekanna....this is perfect! Now I have two slaves....and I can use this one too...." She chuckled as the priestess left, kneeling before Bakura and seizing his head to force his eyes upon her own. "Well, well, you are SUCH a darling! I'll have to keep you alive....unlike what'll happen to my other slave....Hn...."   
  
Her hazel eyes spun around and she smirked, taking the chain from Bakura but his hands remained bound. Ideas flooded her mind, conjuring a "collar" and slipping it around his neck, a taut rope connected to that and became magically bound besides her throne. "You are a good prize...might as well keep you close..."  
  
Yugi lifted his head tiredly from his cage, looking over at the sight and slowly shaking his head sadly. "Oh Bakura...."  
  
******  
"He just had to play hero.....the baka!" Yami whispered angrily, wondering if he'd ever see Bakura again. He moved to where he saw the other taken away into the air, blinking as he almost stepped on something shadowed by the darkness. He leaned over, and picked up a small box, opening it and seeing lined with velvet, a gold thread and silver pick. "Bakura..."   
  
Yami stood firmly, glaring up into the sky. "I'll find you. I swear by it!" His hand tightened strongly around the box, sliding it safely in his pocket and pulling back out something else. "OSIRIS! Take me back to Kaiba Corp.....and hurry!"   
  
******  
  
  
  
  
Oi....that was what is referred to as a crappy chapter ending. But....poor Bakura! And I *did* have him and Yami get closer, sorry, they aren't fully lovey-dubbie yet....I'm getting there though! This chapter was really centered on them and the Mistress's den, Ayane.   
  
Ah, and for those wondering what the hell Yami's chance said, it was in Portuguese, heh....the language makes fun spells: God of Ra, protect the being I hold here now from the ancient magic causing harm to him. Take mine own power and split it, hand half to thy being and bring him to safety!  
  
  
Heh. But skipping around, did everyone understand the Ayane/Yami conversation? I had it planned out in my mind for awhile and finally was able to stick it in....  
  
A chapter for the holiday season though! Bakura lit up as a Christmas tree XD  
  
Merry Christmas all, ja until my next piece of work! 


	13. Kuttaku

Kuttaku- worry; care  
  
Ok, so I haven't updated in awhile. But if anyone looks at my bio I have a NOTE saying that I've been having a case of writer's block since I got my new computer. And that's been since Christmas. So here I an now, typing this as I listen to Vanessa Carlton and putting up this chapter ^^  
  
Don't expect it to be a plot developer.   
  
"I *do* believe in spooks, I *do* believe in spooks, I *do*, I *do*, I *do* believe in spooks!" -Alan Pangborn: The Dark Half (Stephen King)  
  
******   
"Do you really think you have a chance of getting out of here? All you are is another piece of cheese for the little mouse of a pharaoh. I have that little hikari, and *you*." Ayane laughed out in amusement, cupping a hand ruthlessly around Bakura's chin as she sneered to him, pulling back to stand full. "And when your services have been put to an end of luring that other here, you and that hikari shall be killed before his very eyes."  
  
Bakura grunted and moved against the chains that held him down, only scooting forward by an inch, the movement receiving a slap from the mistress. "Behave, pet."  
  
"He won't come."  
  
"Are you so sure of that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Fool," she chuckled, "he will come, he wants you and his light both alive. Oh yes, he will come."  
  
Again the silver-haired fought against the chains and that earned him another red mark to his face. "Don't make me have to tame you, soul-stealer."  
  
******  
The red beast had arisen to the air soon after it had been called by Yami. Destination? Kaiba Corp, where hopefully the others were holding up in good nature, but as the building got closer in sight….that hope was fading.  
  
"Ra…..let everyone be all right…."  
  
******  
Marik and Joey had "recovered" from their previous injuries brought on by Lenokei. In passing time, the two (and Drazzle) had taken to the stairs and got to the second to top floor. But there was no top floor, what was left of it had been taken to pieces and invaded where they currently stood.  
  
"Aibou!"  
  
" 'ey is everyone ok?!"   
  
Ryou came to their view, staring up at the easily seen sky and tripping over a piece of fallen wood. Behind him was being dragged the second of the two hikaris, Malik Ishtar, and as Ryou went down, the other caught a grip to an arm and held him up. "We're all ok," Ryou mouthed before collapsing from Malik's safe hold.   
  
"Gods…" Joey moved from Marik and stumbled to help the two stay standing, asking where the others were and looking behind Ryou where the two lights signaled. "Marik can you-"  
  
"Already on it," the yami murmured, passing the three to look through the debris for the remaining others, Drazzle clutching to his shoulder in a sense of fear. "Hey! Where is everyone?!" His voice echoed into the shady air, moving to where part of the surface moved a bit. All he found was a hole, but at the bottom of it sat a jumble of Isis, Shadi, and Seto. "Gee. You all ok?"  
  
"What do you think?! Help us out!"   
  
Marik raised a brow at the CEO, looking off towards where he came from to see his love and the two lights trekking close behind.  
  
"Ya' find 'em?"  
  
"Yeah, but I need help getting them out." Drazzle climbed down Marik's pant leg as the yami spoke, the others coming up besides him and all reached in the hole to start pulling the trapped out.  
  
******  
Altogether they sat in a jumble, sitting on pieces of wood and remains of the crushed offices. A tired filled air drifted about, the first being Shadi to speak out solemnly. "I wish I knew what was really going on…"  
  
"All questions shall be answered once the Pharaoh arrives."  
  
Seven people looked to where the new, slithery voice came from, each expression wide to stare at the Australian Frilled Lizard by the name of Drazzle. Who had just spoken.  
  
******  
"Rekanna!" Ayane snapped, bringing the ancient High Priestess into the room by command. The mistress watched the other woman a moment, observing the stance before nodding in approval. "I want to know where Lenokei has….hidden off to. Find him. The bastard of a servant has not brought me the Millennium Rod like I have requested…"  
  
"Hai, Ayane."  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
Rekanna gave a slow nod, turning on her heels and walking out of the room, leaving Ayane to turn back towards her throne and moving to stand over Bakura, hand running over his ring that rested around her neck. "I could cause you so much pain…"  
  
Bakura managed a choked out responds, glaring at the one in possession of his ring. "Then why DON'T you?"  
  
Her face twisted in anger. "Because that damned good for nothing Pharaoh placed a spell on you that you cannot be harmed by the Millennium Items! When I get my hands on him…." Her voice trailed off as she turned, walking out of the room as if a way for her to cool down.  
  
The tomb-robber remained where he sat by the throne (not like he had much choice). "I still can't believe he used that spell….it took half his power…."  
  
"B-Bakura…?"  
  
He lifted his bruised face to the darkened cage in the corner. "Yugi? What is it?"  
  
The spiked haired boy seemed to be crying from where he was being held a captive. "I don't want to be here….I want to get out…I-I miss everyone…..but I'm afraid….if Yami comes….of what-what will happen…"  
  
"As am I, Yugi….as am I…"  
  
******  
It took Yami a roundabout or so to circle Kaiba Corp before landing by the group, summoning his dragon back to them. He slowly approached them all, eyes watching his every move and making him slightly uneasy as he sat down between Isis and Shadi. "They got Bakura…"  
  
"And the Tauk," Isis added quietly, a sigh then being shared by all.   
  
"And we have found out that Drazzle can talk," Marik finished to inform Yami of the bases that he'd missed. This commented caused a chain reaction to stare down at the lizard who sat himself humbly in the center of the "circle" made by the group.   
  
"Now that everyone who can be here is present, I suppose I can begin," the lizard commented simply, as if this were everyday for him. "The information I hold details on how to defeat the spell of darkness that has engulfed this world."  
  
"Tell me now!" Yami suddenly snapped, standing and staring down awkwardly at the lizard, glancing around at everyone else before sitting again. Yelling at a person was one thing, but to yell for answers to a simple scaled being was….well…  
  
It was absurd.  
  
But Drazzle merely looked at him and explained. "Five Millennium Items are needed, each one in a different area of the globe and a spell must be done by whichever holds the item in Egypt. Problem is currently this group only has two full ones and two people with a half of the original." He flicked his tail towards Ryou and Yami, whom one was missing their dark half, the other his hikari. "So the spell cannot be completed."  
  
"Who *are* you?" Malik spoke out. "Or what are you for that matter…?"  
  
"I am who and what you see."  
  
"If you were originally Lenokei's how do we know this isn't some trick?" Marik said next, embracing Joey in the process and having the opposing blonde lean into him. They collected a view looks before the acknowledgment of their relationship was (for the most part) excepted.   
  
"If this were a trick, it would matter not because there is no falsehood to the spell. Lenokei is in hiding currently, so I believe from the last battle." Drazzle gave a pause. "He even is hiding from his mistress, who most likely wants his head-"  
  
"Mistress? Where is she?!" Again, Yami went into a motivated questionnaire, wanting to help his light and Bakura as soon as possible. He had to.  
  
"A fortress hidden in the sky. The exact location, I have no clue to. But I advise you not to go, she wants you and you alone."  
  
"Like hell I'm going! I have to! Osiris!" The yami spun around, the card already ascended into the air and making the beast emerge from its captivating card. Yami began to move to get on, only to be held back by Seto, Isis, and Shadi. "Unhand me! I have to go! Bakura and Yugi are up there!"  
  
"Yami, don't be an idiot!" Seto snapped, forcing the other to his knees. "You can't just go bursting up there, especially if they really do want you!"  
  
"I SAID LET ME GO KAIBA!" Yami hissed, fighting to stand and only getting hit hard over the head by Marik, who had drawn the rod. The former ruler collapsed to the ground, curling a bit in a sense of pain that engulfed his head. His last word escaped his mouth in a whisper, a plea for one, not two. "B-Bakura…"  
  
******  
"Why'd ya do that Marik?!"   
  
"Relax, Joey. If he were to go up there, he'd be dead. He's only unconscious here."  
  
Joey slumped a bit, looking over at Yami who they had moved down through the building (the rest other than the top being intact) and into an office, having placed him to lay on a desk. Marik looked from Yami to the other and moved towards him, taking the blonde in his arms again before the boy fell over. "It was necessary, you must understand that…"  
  
"I know….I just hope he'll be ok…"  
  
"He will be. Hell, in the past I've knocked him to the ground much worse than that. He'll be fine."  
  
******  
"So you've been hiding from me!!" Ayane's shadow could be seen in a hallway, looming over a slightly cowering other, the mistress having a card held out and causing the other to fear. "First you don't even receive my request and secondly you HIDE! Shinkou is by FAR a better servant than you'll EVER be to me!"  
  
"But M-mistress…..the lizard….and the boy….t-they protected him! The boy gave him strength and the lizard-"  
  
"I told you that lizard was trouble! Why I allowed you to have him, hell I don't even know!" The card began to glow as she shunned Lenokei into an empty room. "You know the consequences! Draw your card, but you know you have NO match to me whatsoever!"  
  
Lenokei wearily pulled a card from his pocket shakily. "D-Death Vorstagalf [2200/1700]!" The large earth dragon rose into the room, though it hardly even fitted with its massive size.  
  
"I don't see why you even bother," the mistress gave a chuckle, watching the servant cower behind his rust scaled, armored beast before summoning her main monster. "Tri-Horn Dragon [2850/2350], come and serve me!"   
  
It was easy and short. One claw connected against the defending monster, followed by the second gold claw, defeating it in those two blows alone and taking some of Lenokei's power with it, leaving the man twitching to his knees.   
  
"Don't defy me again, Lenokei," she paused and took in the sight of him, "or next time I'll be sure my dragon takes ALL of your power!" A cackle erupted from her narrow lips, pivoting and leaving him in the room as the card slid back into her pocket, her being done with him.   
  
Her prized dragon.  
  
Even a Blue-Eyes couldn't stand up to it, in a duel, yes the blue dragon would win….but in real time….  
  
It stood no chance. And the hope of fusing three was impossible, for Shinkou had possession of the third.  
  
******  
  
  
  
Mmph….I wanted that to be longer and have some kind of formation between Yami and Bakura, but that came out more minor than I wanted it to be. Ah, always have next chapter, and more explanation on what the hell is up with Drazzle, heh. If you've noticed, all the MAIN people (Shinkou, Rekanna, Lenokei) who serve under the mistress (Ayane) each use dragon cards, and Ayane has the most powerful of them being the Tri-Horned Dragon. Gods…I want that card!! Neh…my dream card, I have a limited edition Blue-Eyes, but I want the Tri-Horned more -___-;; Someday maybe. Ja until next chappie. 


	14. Mugetsu

Mugetsu- moonless sky   
  
Meep! Again, I have yet to update in a REALLY long time! To me it has been, anyway. But I hand-wrote twelve pages when I was away for a ski trip, but didn't actually ski. One, it was too damn cold, and two….well, I didn't really want to. Lol, but there's fluff in this chapter! Well, I guess you could call it that….ok, Yami/Bakuraness, and a LARGE bit of the plot.  
  
Warnings: Yaoi (duh), violence (poor, poor Bakura…it's not THAT bad, but still).  
  
"We are closer than brothers, and now we have to fight each other." -No Matter What: YGO Soundtrack  
  
******  
"Ohh….what happened….?" Yami eyes opened, after an hour had passed since he had been knocked out. His body arched a bit before he was able to feel his sleeping muscles and sit up, though even a simple move like that had hurt. In a groan, his hand was clutched by his head, thumb rubbing against the near temple to try and sooth the aches he had coursed over him.  
  
"I knocked you out do to your sudden crazed actions."  
  
The crimson eyes turned, narrowed as a squint in the dim room. Ah, there was his answer, the other dark half and spirit of the rod leaning in a corner, arms folded and staring over at him. The memories of what happened were scattered, but it was easy to remember that he was trying to summon Osiris, and others were holding him back….  
  
A memory of Seto Kaiba being one of those people.  
  
And a memory of it all going black.  
  
That was it, and now he was in this office room. On a desk. Alone with Marik.   
  
"It wasn't a 'crazed action' baka. Excuse me for trying to help two people I care for!"  
  
"You care for Bakura?" Marik raised a brow, watching Yami freeze and seem to go over his words. The blonde chuckled a bit and shook his head, figuring he would dismiss this and let the other confuse himself like he had with Joey. Speaking of the untamed dog (as Kaiba would put it), the other had said he'd be back after getting something to drink. That was ten minutes ago. 'Kid can never seem to work a soda machine…' Of course, Marik went unfazed by the disappearance and continued talking again. "Never mind. But it was still a stupid move, do you REALLY think you would have gotten far up there? They're expecting you for Ra's sake!"  
  
"I would have been fine," Yami scoffed in return, pushing himself to stand off the table and feeling his knees break out, palms folding to the table top for support.  
  
"You've been unconscious for an hour, I'd be careful walking."  
  
"Gee, THANKS for the warning!"  
  
"Don't mention it," he gave a smirk and Yami hissed, getting his legs to move and heading out the office door. Marik shrugged and followed afterwards, running into Joey who nearly spilled a Cherry Coke that was wrapped in the boy's hand.   
  
"Gah! Wha- oh…just you…." Joey let out a sigh, glad that it wasn't one of the mistress's servants coming to take his life. With his free hand he brushed the sweat on his forehead away. He hadn't liked going to get a soda alone, hell, lights were flickering on and off in some parts of the building and it was just damn freaky.   
  
"Did I spook you?" The yami rose a brow to the shaken other.  
  
"Uh….yeah, kind of…I thought you were….someone else…" He murmured at his choice of words, fidgeting slightly then looking up at Marik as if he were to cry, though he held it back good.  
  
Marik rose a hand and softly gripped Joey's chin, observing the boy and catching the feeling of coldness to his skin. "What's wrong…?"  
  
"Just…spooked…it's er…creepy in the halls…by myself…" The boy pulled his head away from the grip, looking off to the direction Yami walked off in. To be honest, he was afraid to admit being scared.  
  
"You're not alone now, relax.." Marik whispered, embracing the other and leading him off where Yami went.  
  
******  
'Why did I say that? Say that I care for them both? Sure, I care for Yugi…but Bakura? I mean, I guess…but…' Yami wandered down the hall, trying to find the building's cafeteria, where Marik quickly told him the others were before Yami choose to stoop off. Walking was still difficult, his muscles still being asleep.  
  
But he was smiling. "Maybe I cared more for him than I thought." The former pharaoh waltzed into the cafeteria, seeing two rectangular tables pushed together with everyone seated around them, Drazzle sitting center table. "So anyone want to try stopping me again?"  
  
Seto glanced up from talking with Isis, staring at the smirking yami with a bewilder expression on his face. "You can't be serious."  
  
"Actually, I'm not. For once I'll agree with you and…plan."   
  
"Good."  
  
Ryou blinked around the room a moment before eyes set back to Yami. "Where's Joey and Marik?"  
  
"Probably making out in the hall somewhere," he simply shrugged in return, but caught Malik's dignified shudder.  
  
"I can't believe THOSE two are together! Ugh…after seeing my yami try to kill Joey at the Isle of Pines, them together seems….impossible…"  
  
"So if Bakura and I were together you'd act like this too?"  
  
Malik's eyes widened then he burst into laughter. "You and Bakura?! TOGETHER?! Yeah, good one Yami, I want a camera if that even happens. If it ever happens."  
  
Yami sank into the nearest chair around the table, one chair to his left being empty, the one to his right occupied by Shadi. He frowned, looking into his lap as he murmured to himself. "If Joey and Marik can work out….I don't see why…"  
  
"What was that Yami?"  
  
He jumped at the voice, looking to his left to see Marik in the once empty chair, Joey besides him. The opposing spirit smirked lightly, giving Yami a nudge and a whispered that cheered him up slightly. "Don't worry, you'll get him."  
  
Shadi then stood, waiting for whatever actions and talking to cease, eyes faced upon him. "Alright, while you three were off wherever, the rest of us devised a plan. Isis, Seto, and I will go to the Shadow Realm to see what mess happened there. You," he pointed to Yami before continuing, "Marik, and Joey will go up into the sky with Osiris and Malik and Ryou will stay down here with…Drazzle to work on the final spell. Understand everyone?"  
  
There was little discussion that hit into the air, but agreement was struck and people headed separate ways to get to work.  
  
******  
Shadi took Isis and Seto into the hallway, the Ankh around his neck glowing lightly, the energy of the Shadow Realm being pulled around them. But as Isis looked to him, she noted the distressed look etched on his face as it took longer to open the realm than it should have. "Shadi?"  
  
"It's….hard…the realm, something has devastated the realm…."  
  
Seto caught a glance between the two to watch his office fade away into the dark, disturbed cobalt and black realm. The Shadow Realm.  
  
******  
"Brother! Brother? Brother…" The Dark Magician Girl knelt before her older brother, who sat in silence upon a rock. The flames had settled awhile before, though smoke still arose from the ashes where a forest once stood.  
  
Celtic shot a glance at the two, treading through the snow, or that's how he saw it. So many of their friends gone instantly by the hit of a dragon. That had effected who was alive now…but what had set the magician into a slump was the factor of Kuroi giving her life, for his.  
  
He loved her.  
  
And now she was dead.  
  
******  
"So where exactly are we going?" Seto grumbled from behind the two Egyptians, who seemed to be walking blindly. And at that point, Shadi turned to him with a sarcastic air about him.  
  
"Would you be happier with a guide?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Shadi rolled his eyes and turned away, pulling a card from a pocket in his robe and flipping it out before them, awakening the aqua being, Hyosube into the Shadow Realm. The Egyptian glanced back at the Kaiba by then back to his monster.  
  
"Would you please take us back to the Dark Magician?"  
  
"Hai, Master, Hyosube knowsss where to find him."  
  
Seto smile in approval, following up besides Isis and behind Shadi and the creature with ease.  
  
******  
The smile the CEO had carried to the ashes was lost, any bit of happiness the three shared dissolved when they saw the three monsters. Whomever else remained alive from the flames, had moved away in search of help.  
  
"What the hell happened here?!"  
  
Wahei looked up from her brother to Kaiba and slowly stood, depressingly moving to him. "We were attacked."  
  
"By whom?" Isis stared in surprise, watching Celtic come up by Wahei.  
  
"Some human, he came and took the Pharaoh's light, killing a lot of us first with a Red-Eyes and Blue-Eyes, a Blackland Fire Dragon as well."  
  
"A Blue-Eyes?!" Seto nearly fell forward, everyone but the Dark Magician staring to the CEO. "When I get my hands on that card stealing bastard…."  
  
"Calm down, Seto!"   
  
His eyes turned an icy fume on Isis and he tried to relax, gravely failing.  
  
"Calm down?! He used my Blue-Eyes to murder!"  
  
Waizu for the first time in hours lifted his head, eyes from the ground with daggers of tears and a dark glare held to Seto, but he remained sitting. "Your dragon is what killed her…?"  
  
******  
Within the center of Ayane's throne room, lay a torn, crying figure. Clothes drenched in blood and wrist, ankle shackles pressuring the skin. Silver hair was holding great amounts of sweat, red lash marks on the face, though the head was buried in the form's arms.  
  
"Get up."  
  
He only trembled more.  
  
"Get up!" A steel wire hit hard into the back, sending a sing into the body, numbing the area it scolded against. Ayane circled the body, the whip dragging in a light dance against the stone floor. When the body started to move, she kicked him in the ribs, getting the reaction of him rolling to his side. She scoffed in plain disgust. "Get up, Bakura. Get up you pathetic pet."  
  
Bakura weakly managed to stand on his feet, blood and tear stained face staring at her with pain, her sing-song voice ringing in his mind. "My pet. Now, down!" The voice then snapped, whip drawling in a fast motion against his knees, causing him to collapse into a heap, curling and crying once again.  
  
Yugi sat in his corner cage, watching he heart breaking sight with guilt and distress. "Oh Bakura….why did you do it…?"  
  
***Flashback***  
"Motou," Ayane stood smirking before the light's small cell. "What do you say on touching you up for your other half?"  
  
"Leave him alone!"  
  
"Silence! This doesn't concern you!"  
  
"I said leave him alone! If you want someone, take me, not him!"  
  
Yugi stared across to Bakura as if he'd lost his mind, then to Ayane as she was debating this new offer… "Bakura, don't…I'll be fine!"  
  
"You'll take this boy's place?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Bakura d-"  
  
"Offer accepted," Ayane turned for Bakura, steel whip unfolding from where she hit it by her side. She'd enjoy this. Now someone would be HER slave.  
  
***End Flashback***  
"Why did you let her take you…? Bakura, you idiot!" Yugi cried out, eyes held tightly shut to block out the violent scene playing before him as Bakura stood, only to be struck down once again.  
  
******  
"Drazzle said it would be up ahead," Mariku stated, looking behind to see nothing but darkness. Him, Joey, and Yami had been up on Osiris for a grand total of….seventeen minutes, flying towards this "sky palace" that they had no sign of.  
  
"Are you POSITIVE?" Yami stared back at him in annoyance, not liking how things looked. Marik nodded to him and pointed forward, causing Yami to glance up and stare in awe.  
  
And hatred.  
  
Suspended by nothing in the blackness, simply floating before them, was a massive stone palace. Yet, put in a child's perspective, it looked like one REALLY big box, connected to a smaller box by a really large bridge, then another small box off to the side of that one, held together with a short bridge.  
  
Some palace.  
  
Seemed more like a prison.  
  
Osiris landed upon the large bridge, being summoned back as a card, leaving the three to head towards the door of the biggest "box" and entering.  
  
Joey nearly shouted in a fit when they cleared the doors, finding a figure sunken on the floor, weakly breathing.  
  
It was Lenokei.  
  
"Yami, if you don't mind, Joey and I have a score to settle."  
  
Yami stared at the two a moment before nodding, "Alright, just be careful, I'm going to find the other two." With those words, he turned and started down a randomly chosen hall.  
  
******  
"I've broken you. It took longer than I expected, but I broke you."  
  
"Ayane, he's arrived at last." Rekanna stepped in, glancing to the proud mistress and silently tamed Bakura.   
  
"Good. I want you to go greet him, take him to the main chamber, I think I'll have these two face each other…"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Oh! And Rekanna, do you have what I asked for?"  
  
The High Priestess pulled out something, a leash attached to a collar, and tossed it to Ayane. She caught it and sent the other away, commanding Bakura to stand as she fastened to collar around his neck. "If you disobey me, you will be whipped."  
  
He nodded, voice empty, "Yes, Master."  
  
******  
The only thing that stopped the well moving Yami was a form blocking the hallway. "Who are you?!"  
  
"Rekanna Shinsei."  
  
"But you're…"  
  
"Yes. Now come with me, Pharaoh."  
  
((A/N: Remember, Rekanna was a High Priestess in Egypt, that's why Yami recognizes her name. Just had to point that out..))  
  
"And why should I?!"  
  
"Don't trust me? Come now, don't make me call my dragon."  
  
He snorted as she turned, reluctantly following into a chamber and being told to wait.  
  
"Well, Pharaoh…we meet again," Ayane soon after stepped into the chamber, a glare fixated to Yami, who sent the same look back. But he had no idea who she was. "Now I need you to do a little something for me…"  
  
"Why would I do something for someone I don't even know….?"  
  
"Don't you even pull that on me! You know damn well who I am!"  
  
His brows furrowed, but he managed to keep a strong voice. "I know you are the one who has taken two I care for."  
  
"And that's why you should do what I ask."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?!" His glare tightened as Ayane smirked, reaching out of the room and getting a grip on Bakura's leash, roughly pulling him infront of her. Yami's eyes widened at the sight, horrified by the empty yet pained atmosphere Bakura's features held. "What did you do to him?!"  
  
"That's none of your concern."  
  
"Like hell it is!" He was nearly bringing himself to tears. "You've destroyed his soul! He looks like an empty shell now!"  
  
"Good."  
  
Yami clenched his fists in anger, not saying anymore.  
  
"Now you're going to play a little game." She smiled darkly. 'And you will lose by what I gave Bakura, then with your weakened state I shall have the easy ability to stomp you from where I stand.' "All you need to do is summon a monster, as will my little pet here, a one-on-one duel."  
  
"And if I don't?"  
  
"He'll be brought slowly to a near death, but he will live (for I plan to keep him), and your rat of a hikari will be killed torturously before you."  
  
'I am so sorry Bakura…but this is better for you both…' With a pain in his heart, he drew a monster card, watching the Millennium Ring that hung around Ayane's neck and awakened Gaia the Fierce Knight alive.  
  
"Now, pet, pull the master card I gave you!" Ayane purposely dropped the leash as she watched Bakura draw and summon, but her face fell when the monster was the Witty Phantom. "What in seven hells are you doing?!" She released her whip and cuffed it, hard, against the back of Bakura's neck, drawing blood and initiated him into a collapse upon his knees. But there was emotion in his eyes again.  
  
"Yami, for god's sake, attack now!!"  
  
"Are you insane?!"  
  
"Please!"  
  
"Quiet you useless scrab of dirt!" Again the whip rolled against him, tears now breaking down from his eyes. Yami called out the attack, destroying the phantom and drawing the lost energy from Bakura, who sank flat against the cold ground, trembling severely. Ayane growled at the failure Bakura could possess and turned from the room, off in search of Shinkou with Rekanna following after her. "That rotten pet'll die anyway….I'll show them all….NEVER mess with me!"  
  
******  
After leaving Lenokei unconscious on the ground, Joey and Marik found themselves sneaking through the shadowed halls, looking into each room until they stumbled in one that intrigued Marik.  
  
"There's nothing in 'ere, Marik….why bother?  
  
The yami pointed to the throne, striding up to it and roughly picking up the Millennium Tauk. "Look what we have here…"  
  
Joey ignored him, eyes growing wide as he saw the small corner cage, squinting to see the bundle within it.  
  
"Holy shit! Yugi?!"  
  
Marik looked over and followed the other, gaping at the crying boy within. " 'ey Yug! Come on man, don't do dis' to us!" Joey reached between the bars to shake the hikari.  
  
"We'll get you out of here…don't worry…."  
  
******  
"Bakura! Bakura!! BAKURA!!" Yami began to panic as he knelt over the other, trying to wake him, tears starting to fall against the bruised and unnaturally pale face. "You can't leave me, Bakura…" Yami sat infront the other, propping him against the wall and pulling small box, taking out the lock pick. He gave a short glance to the thread before using the pick to break through the collar. "I'm not leaving you here…"  
  
Yami seemed unaware to the fact that the golden thread was glowing.  
  
He finally was able to pull the collar off Bakura, noticing how tight it have been from the bruised skin beneath. "Oh Ra…" Yami bit his lip and lost it, crying uncontrollably. "This is all my fault…why did you let them take you over me? I should have done something…I'm sorry….god dammit I'm sorry!" He held his head low, letting the tears drop and hitting into the pick's box…  
  
Bakura wasn't breathing at that point.  
  
******  
"This spell isn't going to work."  
  
"Can't you write it down for us?"  
  
The lizard looked between the two complaining hikaris, having repeated the spell's words over five times to get the two to memorize it. But the last comment caused the frill to raise out in annoyance. "Do you think I can write?!"  
  
"We didn't think you could talk either," Malik mumbled.  
  
"Stupid humans."  
  
"Stupid lizard."  
  
Ryou looked between the two, now in which had engaged in a staring contest.  
  
After two minutes without blinking, the only that that grabbed their attention was a gasp from Ryou, making Malik turn to panic.  
  
"Ryou?! What is it?!"  
  
The boy's hands were placed with one on his chest, the other on his ring as his mind did many twists and tumbles intertwining with his thoughts.  
  
"I-I can't feel him anymore…!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My yami…"  
  
******  
Yami had slowed his tears, finally noting the near coldness radiating from the other. "No…" His eyes jumped alive at the truth. "NO!" Eyes began to water again, hands in fists as he tried not to go and hurt himself.  
  
The thread took a strong glow, finally catching Yami's attention, his hand lifting the delicate strand from its keeping. "Could it…?" The thread enticed something in his mind and he took one of Bakura's limp hands, closing the fingers around the brilliant light of the thread.   
  
It was almost *frightening* to watch life rise into the other, cheeks and hands having color restored to them.  
  
"B-Bakura…?"  
  
"…….Un….."  
  
Yami's body became overjoyed, throwing his arms around Bakura's shoulders, embracing him as tears freed themselves again. "My god….y-you're alive….!"  
  
"…..I won't be if you squeeze any tighter……"  
  
"G-Gomen…." Yami bit his lip and moved Bakura's fingers away to take the thread, but found nothing. "W-what….? It's…..it's……gone…."  
  
"What is?" Bakura stared with a weak gaze to the other, confused at the moment.  
  
"The thread…" He noted Bakura's rise of anger and again, almost cried as he explained. "You were DEAD…..a-and it…..it healed you…."  
  
"Yami….relax…." Bakura gave him a surprised glance, never seeing the other lose it so easily like this. Instinct hit and he reached forward (which took A LOT of effort), pulling the other against him and allowed Yami to cry into his shirt. Funny. He had just died and yet it was himself to comfort the other.  
  
"I-I almost lost you again…."  
  
"………."  
  
"I'm so sorry….it's my fault that this happened….."  
  
******  
Shinkou stood over the fallen Lenokei, shaking his head with a sigh as he turned to the two arrivals of Ayane and Rekanna. "I suppose he wasn't strong enough, Mistress."  
  
"Indeed. But he will live, I need you to run a little….errand for me though."  
  
His face up righted with a smirk. "Whatever it is you need."  
  
"Good. I need you to go down, and break Kaiba Corp to ashes."  
  
"As you wish, Mistress." Shinkou sent one last glance to Lenokei before stepping out upon the bridge. His smile grew to the though of destruction, bringing alive both Red and Blue-Eye dragons, boarding the black monster. "Let's go, both of you, we have work to do."  
  
******  
"Are you SURE you're ok….?"  
  
"Yeah, I just don't know what happened. Malik. I swear he was gone, but his spirit is still alive now…even if I can't use our link, I still feel him…"  
  
Malik nodded in understanding, blinking around when he realized Drazzle was gone from his previous position. "What…?" The lavender eyes spotted the creature hissing at a window, sitting on the sill before it turned and started to move towards the two.  
  
"Hurry, NOW, we have to exit here at once!"  
  
"Why, what is it?" Ryou moved by the window and squinted out, almost falling backwards. "Oh my god…"  
  
"Someone tell me what's going on!!" The lizard and Ryou looked to Malik in a fearful glance, but it was Drazzle who yelled out again as Malik saw two beams of light, on red, the other a white/blue coming towards the large window.  
  
"GET DOWN!!"  
  
Both hikaris instinctively dove to the ground, watching the two attacks blast over head and out the other side of the building, but it had also broken supports. It didn't take a genius to figure out, that the floors above them, were now crashing down.  
  
******  
  
  
  
  
HAHAHAHAHA! Cliffy! So fun to write, a killer to read. Sorry it took so long to get this up, it was hard to type what I had written, always is for me. But I have some notes to cover, about characters and pairings kind of stuff. A normal buzz, ne? Well first off, actually, I wanted to say this story is really far from done. And that Bakura WAS dead and that lil golden thread he had of his mother healed him. Just wanted to clear that up.  
  
Drazzle will be shown his true meaning next chapter, maybe more on Ayane's past, donno when I'll get to her fully though, Yami still has no idea who she is.   
  
The two characters I really don't like in the show are Tristan and Tea, and I told myself in the beginning they wouldn't be in this. Well, Tristan'll have a REALLY minor role, but Tea is actually going to have a damn good part. Heh…but she's not going to be all happy friendship like. I'll just say for now, that Shinkou makes her change those ways…  
  
And lastly, pairings. Already there are two, Yami/Bakura (though in slow process) and Joey/Marik. And perhaps some of you have noticed two shadowed ones that are also in slow process, though might not build off to a full pair…here are my ideas for the two shadowing ones I've kind of had very small signs of:  
  
Ryou/Malik  
Seto/Isis  
  
Any objections? Say in a review, I love reviews!! And hopefully I'll get the next chapter up sooner than the last, heheh. Mrm….I also have to work on another chapter of my Can't Stop Loving You, if anyone is interested in it, the pairings are Yami/Bakura (duh) and Malik/Mariku. Go check that out too ^^  
  
Ja!! 


	15. Nibiiro

Nibiiro- Dark Gray  
  
  
Heh, I'm introducing Tea in this chapter….I'm going to have fun with her ^^ And I'm happy because I have more reviews, lol. Funny….I get happy with like, forty or whatever…  
  
"But I'm the only one who'll walk across the fire for you, I'm the only one who'll drown in my desire for you, it's only fear that makes you run, the demons that you're hiding from, when all your promises are gone, I'm the only one." -I'm the Only One: Melissa Etheridge   
  
******  
Orbs of brown sent a gaze upon the one thing causing full attention in the city. To most people around the female, life was normal, they saw bright sunny sky, they saw normal animals moving about. No dark, dismal sky, and no Duel Monsters being let free of destruction.   
  
She didn't see it like that. She saw it all.  
  
But for once, the stupidity and blindness of the people faded away, looking to the sound and sight and blast of a collapsing building. Nothing could be seen through the upraise in smoke, but SHE saw it. The two dragons, the person riding one of them, and she knew them all.  
  
"So that's where you needed to go Shinkou…" A hand unconsciously rolled through the locks of the russet hair, turning at a voice and someone running near to her.  
  
"Tea!"  
  
"Hey Tristan, what's up?" The girl turned to face him, raising a brow at the panicked look on the male's face.  
  
"What's up?! For one thing, there's a building crashing down, and another thing, I don't know where Serenity is! And what's with how you're dressing…?"  
  
She looked over her clothes, not seeing anything wrong. Normal blue jeans, though they were different than her skirts and such. Maybe he meant the rest of her? But she felt fine…he just seemed paranoid….  
  
"I don't see anything wrong with how I dress."  
  
He gave her a skeptical look and pointed out at her shirt and a light fabric over coat. "Black shirt, gray atop? Tea, are you feeling ok…?"  
  
"Jeez, Tristan, I'm fine…just wearing something new, got a problem?"  
  
"Ah…ugh, never mind, never mind! Just look- I can't find Serenity ANYWHERE! She's not at home and I can't reach Joey for some stupid reason to see if he knows…"  
  
"You can't even find your own girlfriend?" She gave him an amused glance and he seemed to start fuming, not enjoying the fact that she was right ONE bit. And it was bad enough that she seemed to be the only person he knew that he could find, but of course SHE wasn't making his life any better.  
  
"No, I can't, alright!"  
  
"Well, I have to go meet someone….see ya."  
  
He blinked after her when she turned and walked off to the side, sliding past him with ease and continuing out towards the Domino Station, only shifting her gaze quickly back at a loud snap sound crashing through the sky, followed by a large red flash rippling above her. "Guess he's done."  
  
******  
Tea swung her legs from a stone/brick wall where she sat, the wall itself squaring off where the station was. She smiled lightly as a form gave a hop to push off the ground and sat up besides her, another brunette. Jeans, black Tee, something silvery-gray folded and held to his back on two straps, like a backpack sort. "Hey."  
  
"Hey," she smiled back at him and looked out where the smoke was clearing from the distance. "So that's what you needed to do?"  
  
"Yeah.." his face twisted to a smirk and he held out two cards for her to see, a Red and Blue Eyes Dragon..   
  
Her eyes widened a bit at the sight of Kaiba's dragon, not having seen it before and the girl couldn't help but question him. "Where'd….you get that card….?"  
  
"Hn? My Mistress gave it to me for now."  
  
"Do you know where she got it?"   
  
His gaze fixated to hers, trying to see what she was getting at, but shook it off. "No, I don't actually. She just tossed it to me when I was heading out to the Shadow Realm before."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"What's the problem?"  
  
"Nothing. It's nothing, Shinkou."  
  
******  
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod…..!" Ryou mouthed quickly, down on his knees and arms hugging over his head as he heard a whole new variety of sounds fall about him. "I'm too young to die!!!!"  
  
"Ryou! RYOU!" Malik yelled out, standing over the boy and pulling him to his feet. "Relax, we're in like….a bubble…"  
  
"What?" The silver-haired opened his eyes and looked around, something like a bluish film around them, and it literally was a bubble. "How…?"  
  
"Donno."  
  
"Where's the lizard?"  
  
They both oddly looked up, a dark, shrouded form covered by a mist above their shielding, and no doubt about it…the hidden form was Drazzle. "Hey!! Lizard-thing! You ok?"  
  
Their only responds was a groan, and it wasn't of the lizard, but from the building, no longer being around them. But below.  
  
"Hell! We're floating!" Malik exasperated, looking around and touching their bubble, watching it stretch to his touch and he pulled away, observing as it reshaped. "I hope we aren't stuck in here…"  
  
"Keepers of the Ring and Rod."  
  
Ryou rose a brow and Malik started, looking up as the mist about Drazzle was growing at an alarming rate. But what was confusing them the most, was the voice coming from all around.  
  
"Combine your energies."  
  
"Who are you?!"  
  
"Silence, possessor of the Rod. Combine your energies and awaken me at last."  
  
The two gulped, looking towards each other in confusion, Malik being the one to behold his Millennium Item and hold it towards the other. "Come on, focus on your power, I think we can do this…"  
  
"You sure?" Malik nodded to him and Ryou sighed, glancing down at the ring, eyes closed as an energy enveloped them both, feeding to and from the bubble. Simultaneously, the boys winced, feeling the pressure increased and their energy leave them, it all being too great…until their safety bubble broke. Yet they still held into the air, the large cluster of black mist (now beneath them) clearing to reveal a sleek, navy blue form, eyes radiating with a stunning green, a large frill draped down its neck. The size of the being, a dragon, was about the size of Osiris, yet with large wings unfolding as both Ryou and Malik settled on its back, tail dangling a distance down the air. "M-Malik….what is this…?"  
  
"Um…."  
  
"I am the one you call, Drazzle. My true name is Furiru Sekieki."   
  
As it spoke out, the now dragon moved away from the ruined building, now bits of smoldering chunks of ash and debris, where they were heading it was currently unknown. Just plain AWAY.  
  
"My spirit reigned in Egypt while your darker halves were around there in my previous seen form. I was awakened as this one when dark plots of the future were beginning to arise. The girl behind all this was a slave to the Pharaoh, going by the name Ayane, but the reason why she wants revenge on the Pharaoh is unclear to me. I was drawn to this form when she began planning ahead with High Priestess Rekanna Shinsei."  
  
"So you were with Lenokei in your previous form to watch her actions? And when you saw my yami, you went with him easily because you knew him from the past?"  
  
"Basically."  
  
Malik chuckled a bit.  
  
"And your form changed because Ayane's energies grew?" Ryou finished for the other.  
  
"Hai. Right on the target."  
  
"Whatever, Drazzle….I mean….erm…Furiru…-"   
  
Malik cut in on his stumbling friend. "Thanks for saving our assess back there."  
  
******  
"Got it!" Marik's skilled fingers pulled away from the now open change, Joey and himself pulling Yugi free of the confides and immediately the boy latched onto Marik (who was closest) and broke to tears.   
  
"Where is he?! Please tell me he's ok!"  
  
"Who, Yami?" Marik rose a brow, having no idea what to do with the boy.  
  
"Yes, I mean, no! Bakura, please tell me he's alive!"  
  
" 'ey Yug, I bet'cha that Yami's found him by now…so.."  
  
"So with both of you being in the same building, you should be able to use your link."  
  
Joey nodded as the other finished for him, watching Yugi's tears balance themselves down and he zoned out, working to contact his other as frantically as he could.  
  
******  
Yami sat against the wall by Bakura, the other still recovering (he was half asleep at the moment) from his downfall and pains he'd had here with only Yugi around. It would have been smart to leave quickly, but for now they seemed safe enough to just wait there. And besides, Yami had Bakura leaning up against him, and hell…that was heaven.  
  
/Yami!/  
  
He jumped a bit, causing a soft groan from Bakura and he calmed himself, adjusting to having voices in his head that have been missed out upon for so long. Ayane's cursed hocus-pocus magic cutting off a real connection in the past.   
  
//Aibou….?//  
  
/Oh gods I've missed this link so much…./  
  
//Are you alright? You sound really shaken….//  
  
There was a long pause, the boy on the other end trying to not go insane, so to speak anyway.  
  
/Is Bakura with you?! Is he alive…?! Please tell me he's alive!/  
  
//He's with me and he's fine, aibou, just sleeping. Why? What's the matter…?// Yami could feel the relief slip across through their minds, but still his light was quite tensed over something.  
  
/H-he took my place for Ayane's torture, willingly….a-and it was awful to watch! T-then she took him away and it was scary because there was nothing to him anymore…/  
  
//Torture? Aibou…please, tell me what she did to him…//  
  
/S-she whipped him, it was supposed to be me but he stopped her! But then she was laughing because she had "broken him" but it was just so scary….I've never seen Bakura cry like he did then…./  
  
//Are you alone aibou?//  
  
/No…Joey and Marik found me a-/  
  
Yami took a deep breath, praying his next thought wasn't a mistake. //Aibou, I want you to tell them both to leave now. Go with them, I want you all out of this place.//  
  
/W-what…?/  
  
//Aibou, Yugi, my light, LEAVE.//  
  
******  
The small boy sniffled, pulling away from his grasp to Marik and standing weakly, head hung low as he spoke in a muffled voice. "Yami wants us all to leave. He said he found Bakura, but he wants us to get out of this place."  
  
"Yug, I'd follow your yami's words any day."  
  
Marik nodded. "Hai, him and Bakura will be fine, but we still have a plan to work through, and there's no time that can be wasted, alright, Yugi?"  
  
He faintly agreed before following after the other two quietly, in truth…he wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.  
  
******  
Tea prodded the other's knee lightly, causing him to look at her in question. "You never told me who your Mistress was hunting, or whatever you call it. You said you would."  
  
He blinked but than nodded, fishing a free hand into his pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper, handing it to her and pointing as he spoke of the two people in a picture on the paper. "We're really after the taller one, she has some bad past with him, the shorter one is like his other half. They're two people in-"  
  
"Two people in one body…" She finished, staring blankly at the paper. "…I should've guessed…I mean all this talk with Egypt and him being the Pharaoh…."  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
She glanced up at Shinkou with a pained and lost expression. "They're my friends."  
  
******  
"Bakura.." Yami shook at the other gently, trying to wake him up, but failing to do so. "Aw come on Bakura, you can't be THAT much of a dead sleeper…." He shook the other a bit harder and finally saw Bakura's eyes open to slits and blink full open, staring up at Yami in confusion and lingering sleep. "Come on, we need to get going. I think you've slept long enough for now."  
  
"Wha….? Where are we?"  
  
"Still stuck in this damn dump, that's why we need to leave."  
  
"Un.." Bakura murmured, watching Yami stand before the other aided him to his feet. Good, standing even if it were weak to him right now, standing was still very nice.  
  
"You going to be ok?"  
  
"Yeah…just dizzy…"  
  
Bakura started walking towards the doorway, making there to the least before collapsing against the frame, breathing hard as he couldn't figure why the world wouldn't stop spinning. Yami came up besides him with a worried glance, taking a look outside the hall before tending by the other. "Want me to carry you?"  
  
Russet eyes shot a queer look at Yami, who quickly shrugged absently with a light blush that caused Bakura to smirk a bit.  
  
"If you want."  
  
******  
Shinkou seemed to pale a bit, moving back from Tea and standing upon the wall, looking down at her. "They're your friends?!"  
  
"Yes…"  
  
He turned away, hand brushing through his hair in thought. How was he going to deal with this one? "Why do you listen to her?"  
  
"She'll kill me otherwise."  
  
"How can she if she can't FIND you?"  
  
He shook his head, looking back at her and tapping a finger to his forehead. "All her little 'servants' have these things in her mind which she can summon us with, if we don't answer, she can kill us inside out."  
  
"………"  
  
"Tea.. I have to go and do my job, if I don't, well…" He looked to her with a half worried glance. "I admit it, I like what I do. I like the chaos and the flames. I like it, so I do what she tells me do easily, unlike Lenokei could. He's probably still unconscious somewhere from a beating he got a few hours ago or so…"  
  
She stood as well, staring at him full and hard in the eye with determination, her voice snapping out with a touch of anger. "Fine…whatever, but before you go killing anyone, why don't you figure out what happened in the past."  
  
He gave a faint nod and held a card face down to her and she took it, not looking at it.  
  
"Just stay safe down here, she's found two other women that I have a feeling may be acting out trouble. That won't help much, but of all monsters I have spare, that'd be the best for you to summon." He started to get ready for his own leave, holding out the Red-Eyes card and tossing it into the air. "RED-EYES!"   
  
She looked up as she saw him jump to the head of the beast, yelling after him. "But I can't summon monsters! I don't have any magic!"  
  
"You CAN summon, it ain't hard. Come on, Tea, believe, alright? Who knows, maybe this'll be over with ease and things'll go back to normal!"  
  
Tea sat back on the wall when the dragon was out of sight. "Things can never be normal again. I have feelings for a guy that needs to kill my friends and I don't find anything wrong with it.." The digits of her hand ran over the backing of the card before turning it over, blinking a bit when she read the monster's name. "Penguin Knight?" Her eyes rose to the sky, meeting the darkness. "Maybe he knows me more than I thought….ugh….there's so much going on. Yami, Yugi, stay alive for gods sake. And Shinkou? Come back to me.."  
  
******  
Ayane scoffed as she moved along one of the two bridges connecting her sky "palace". Rekanna followed near to a singular room, two girls of blonde hair and hazel eyes staring at them upon entrance. The only thing different of the two were the color of clothing, one in black, the other in dark gray, jeans, long sleeves, gloves, boots…anything to cover skin except facial wise.   
  
"So, about time you two arrived….though you'll be going back down to that sad ol' city anyway. But you both know what I'm asking?"  
  
"Hai," they spoke out in unison.  
  
"Good….but one more added thing…one of my good servants seems to have a little friend down there. I'm sure you can find out who. And when you do? Kill her."  
  
******   
  
  
  
Wow. A chapter that seemed to have more Tea than ANYONE! That's very unusual for me….but I like her in this fic! And Shinkou showed a soft side!! Mrm…..anyway, I'll start in the Shadow Realm next chapter probably, and Yami and Bakura will have some trouble escaping the palace. Of course Tea has major troubles, Tristan stupidly trying to find Serenity as everyone seems to know what's going on except him. I think next chapter will be long at my thinking rate XD 


	16. Metsubou

Metsubou- Downfall; collapse  
  
So I took awhile to start this….eheh. Well, at least I knew what I wanted to put in this chapter, just a matter of not being lazy and actually typing it.   
  
Random notes:  
Japanese Kuriboh sounds like Pokemon's Eevee  
I've grown a great hatred towards Shadi… *Twitch*  
Two of Ayane's servants refer to Tea as both her English and Jap name: Tea, Anzu (They're weird like that)  
  
Last Note: Going by this online dictionary:   
Shougi means "to be unsure" so….yeah….just saying…  
  
"All for one…And all for me." -Cardinal: The Three Musketeers  
  
******   
"It was your dragon…that killed her….?"  
  
Seto stared around, no longer seeing the two Egyptians by him, the only ones that had been keeping him safe. Now he was defenseless, the sounds of a growl and squeak catching his ears and he looked down slowly, sucking in a breath. Taking the place of Isis and Shadi were a Silver Fang and Kuriboh, being more of the realm's survivors than had been thought upon.   
  
Waizu finally stood, slowly approaching Seto with a hand fully grasped on his ancient staff, whispering something to his sister and Celtic as he passed by, then moving in some as a defense. The CEO felt unbearably outnumbered now.  
  
"It's not my fault! That other somehow got my card…I-It's not my fault! L-" He was cut off, a shortage on his air supply beginning to mess with him, the magician's staff being tightly held against it.   
  
"Your card….I will kill you…"  
  
"Brother…" Wahei began to drop her battle position, giving a worried glance to her brother and Seto. "It's not his fault…"  
  
The staff's position had yet to move, the energy of the Dark Magician's star attack beginning to gather as the brunette tried backing away, stopping in a mesmerized sense.  
  
"Stop!" Isis pushed past the wolf and stood firmly besides Seto, staring determined at the magician. "I won't let you harm him…"  
  
******  
Yami moved slowly down a hall, Bakura cradled in his arms gently and he tried to act like he wasn't enjoying the closeness of the other. Yeah, that was working just SO well. Bakura wasn't helping much either, pressing his head against the other's chest for warmth, head still swimming with pain.   
  
The silver-haired closed his eyes lightly, groaning some in pain and receiving a worried look from Yami. "Bakura?" A shaking of the head was his responds and Yami sighed at that, but quickly silenced himself as he heard voices in part of the hall. "Shimatta.." Bakura aided him in pointing out a separate hallway, Yami diving to hide in it as two women passed him by.  
  
"So do we know the girl's name?"  
  
"Anzu Masaki."  
  
"Wait, I thought it was Tea Gardener?"  
  
"Same diff."   
  
Yami's eyes went wide and he held Bakura a bit closer to himself, not noticing the smile creasing the other's face. It was bad enough having so many involved, now Tea was in on it? What'd she do to get drawn in the mess? "Figures.." Yami scoffed and made sure the hall was clear again before darting back out. "We need to get out of here…so many are in danger…"  
  
"Hai.." The voice trailed off, causing Yami to glance down and see that Bakura had fallen asleep against him. A blush rose to Yami's cheeks and he set forth with the other in arms. No one would harm *his* Bakura.  
  
******  
Tea could only watch as the moment she landed back on the ground from the wall, a dark mist grew around her. It was literally born off her, spreading across the grounds of Domino Station and causing an uproar of shrieks and fear. She remained still, gripping the card Shinkou had given her as a sign of minor worry, after all, what could mist do as harm?  
  
It was a stupid question, a stupid thought that she was safe. Born from the flooring of the mist were the Duel Monsters known as Skull Servants, many of them. Few went off to pester some of the citizens, but ten had formed a large circle around Tea, trapping her.   
  
Now was some time of panic.  
  
But they were weak, compared to the card Shinkou gave her anyway….so what was the harm of trying this whole summoning thing out anyway? Nothing!  
  
She bit her lip some, holding up the card in the air to mimic the male and calling out the monster's name. "Penguin Knight!"  
  
A clatter and roar of cackles rang into the air, bones clapping together from the many servants around her. She lowered the card….it was no use….the damn knight wouldn't emerge. "God….it's hopeless now!" It was only a matter of seconds after that until Tea was thrown roughly to the ground, gazing through the clouded mist as a servant latched onto her. She fought to stand again, pushing the purple robed figure off her and growled lightly. "Damn you all! Leave me alone!"  
  
That just made them come closer.  
  
"I am so screwed…"  
  
The cackles had yet to cease, merely became louder. Tea collapsed to the ground, hands covered over her ears in a method to block the rigid sounds out, her body finally being pulled spiritually to darkness.  
  
******  
She stood in spotlight, a glow around her body as she looked around, smiling lightly to the black world. Here was safe. No monsters, no voices, no laughter and pain, just her and….  
  
"Giving up so easily?"  
  
Shinkou.  
  
"I haven't given up!"  
  
"Then why did I find you on the ground? You're worse than the Motou boy, he put up a fight, and here you are not even trying?"  
  
"I tried to summon, I told you it wouldn't work!"  
  
"You tried once!" The voice hissed, ashamed at the girl. And it showed. Tea looked away from where she heard the voice, taking a look at the card in her hand.   
  
"It really is useless. It can't possibly be of any help."  
  
"Gardener!" She spun around, a figure glowering infront of her now. Ha, her mind was having fun today.   
  
"Kaiba?"  
  
He swept forward and glared hard at her. "Are you this much of a fool? Letting a few stray monsters beat down on you? Do the math, smart ass, Skull Servant's stats are 300/200. Penguin Knight's are 900/800. What the hell are you THINKING? You're the smart A+ student, and you can't solve this? Figure it out, Gardener, you can beat them!" The image slipped away and she held to her head lightly.   
  
"Damn…am I going to be scolded by everyone?"  
  
"Hn…not everyone.." Next image. Marik….funny, of all the people? It's Marik? She shook her head, attention shifting to a being at her feet…  
  
The Penguin Knight.  
  
"Girl, you've got a lot of nerve siding against someone who's after the lives of all the people you know! But you have your reasons like anyone. Like me, as an example. Do you believe you can handle this monster though? It may look weak, but the devil packs a swing. I don't think you can handle it…"  
  
"Shut the hell up and toss it here!"  
  
"Cruelty to Duel Monsters. Is that how Miss Friendship here wants to go around as?"  
  
That twisted a nail in her mind and she nearly pounced Marik, who merely faded away and appeared behind her. "Just because I am a thought of your mind doesn't mean you can trump over me. What a fool. I hope those servants will pound you into the dirt."  
  
"Bastard! How dare you- who do you think you are telling this to me?!"  
  
"He's my boyfriend, but of course."   
  
Marik's image was gone and Joey came walking with a fade into view. "And I don't like how ya' treat 'im. At least he cares for more den' one person. Who do you care for, Tea? That lowly servant, Shinkou and yerself? Selfish fiend!"  
  
"Joey, I care for you all….I just…" Her tone faded down. They were all gaining up on her! What fairness was involved to this? All against her and her for herself? How DARE they even start with this?! Her anger was growing and she had yet to notice her card glowing. And shifting for that matter.  
  
"You just wanted to watch us all suffer?" Yami took the place of Joey, and she gasped lightly at the dark and twisted sadistic look that crossed his face. One that threatened death to her if she refused to answer. And no, she wasn't going to, she had no need! If this is her friends way of support…well screw them, she didn't need it!   
  
"GO AWAY!!!!!" Her voice raged, the blackness around her breaking away and the last she heard was a saddened voice of Shinkou.  
  
"Tea…"  
  
******  
The Sun Dragon; Ra pulled a swift roundabout over Domino City, as if searching for something lost. And finally, after being convinced by its passengers that Kaiba Corp was indeed beneath them, it landed off to the side by a few blocks, pulled back to a card by Marik.   
  
The spirit was frantic, running at top speed passed both his love and Yugi to the grounds where Kaiba Corp once was. Now of ash and debris, police cars and the such swarmed around the area that the dark one was able to move through, quickly yelling out. "AIBOU!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Joey and Yugi had caught up to Marik, though the small hikari was clueless on what had been going on, the blonde began to shout as well. "Malik! Ryou! Kamisama….please tell me they got out…"  
  
"I don't get it, what're you two worried about?"  
  
Marik turned to the short one. "We all left Malik and Ryou here thinking they'd be safe….but Kaiba Corp is a wreck!"  
  
"S-so they could be…."  
  
"They could be dead for all we know…."  
  
Joey gave a glance to the other, moving up besides him and taking a chance to lean weakly against him for comfort. Which one of them actually needed the comfort, was hard to tell. "Don' worry…I'm sure they got out safe."  
  
A weak nod was the blonde's responds, only thing breaking the moment was a soft 'eep' from Yugi behind them, causing both to turn and see a mob of men in blue coming towards them.  
  
"This zone is off limits, kids, get out of here!"  
  
"Shimatta….come on you two!" Marik hissed, getting the other two in his grasp and immediately running in the opposing direction of the police, finding a dank alley to collapse in.  
  
******  
Malik and Ryou took in short breaths as they finally were able to land somewhere in the outskirts of their home city. Now why Furiru had to take them so far out was a matter to question, but the dragon refused an answer. At least it was able to shift to a form the size of an average cat, making them not look like ants again.  
  
Ryou finally just let his knees give out, sinking tiredly to the ground as Malik moved over besides him.  
  
"What're we supposed to do?! Now the others have NO idea where we are, ok, so we don't know where we are either….demo…" Ryou shook his head fiercely, gripping his hands on either side as he shakily tried to stand again, but ended up falling over. Luckily for him, instead of meeting concrete, he met Malik's arms. "Arigatou…"  
  
"Don't worry about it," the other whispered and paused, "and don't worry about the others, I'm sure they'll think we're fine."  
  
"The other have enough to worry over."  
  
Both Malik and Ryou snapped their heads to the miniature creature once known as Drazzle, Malik being the one to snap his voice off in anger toward the being, but not too bad as he still held to Ryou (even if it weren't needed). "Look you! Furiru Sekieki! Are you saying they won't care that we're missing?!"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
Ryou moved from Malik's hold and glared over to the being, pointing an accusing finger. "This is all YOUR fault!"  
  
"Right."  
  
As the hikari was about to move in closer, he fell back against Malik, unable to support himself to stand any longer.  
  
"Why are you so weak all of a sudden, Ryou?"   
  
"Shougi…" he mouthed before slumping against the other, dragging them both to sit upon the ground. "So…..tired…."  
  
******  
"Sleep…..tired…."  
  
"Bakura!" Yami whispered in a hiss, trying not to be heard as they were approaching the exit way. "You need to stay awake, I can't carry you on Osiris!"  
  
That snapped him awake. "O-Osiris…..?"  
  
Yami faltered slightly, not answering him and merely held the other close against him so he was unable to see around as Yami stepped out on the main bridge.  
  
"Don't worry, it's a quick ride."  
  
Bakura gave a slight nod, standing in the doorway as Yami set him down, watching the other preparing to summon the Saint Dragon. But he felt pushed into the other, simultaneously the two spun around to see Lenokei glaring harshly at them. "You fools, you aren't going anywhere…"  
  
Yami waved the card out and smirked. "A little late for that. Osir-" A chanting from Lenokei broke through the former Pharaoh's voice, having to stop short when he heard the words, praying he had misheard them.  
  
"Pare o deus!"   
  
No. Yami heard correctly, the words literally translating to "stop the god" and keeping Yami from summoning his monster. "Kuso…" His crimson eyes shot across the long and narrow bridge, then back to Bakura in a panic. In good hope for them, Lenokei had moved away, in search of back-up as they didn't have far they could run. Yami spun Bakura to face him, staring at the form straight into his eyes and whispering out. "Bakura….do you trust me…?"  
  
"N-nani?"  
  
"I said, do you trust me?" His eyes fell behind him, looking at the bridge again and Bakura caught on, pulling away as he backed away from Yami into the doorway. It was the heights. The heights had returned to haunt him… "Bakura, please! I won't let you get hurt like you did before on Osiris! If we don't go now, Ayane will surely get to both of us!" He realized his words were bouncing off Bakura, the one he cared for having sunk to the ground and staring blankly ahead. "….Onegai…."  
  
******  
The darkness fell from Tea, leaving her back around where she was at Domino Station, the mass of Skull Servants having grown and continued to swarm in. Her body was glowing, and no longer did she hold in her hand the Penguin Knight, but something stronger. And a dragon.  
  
She glared out, managing to push away from at least one of the skeletal mobs before yelling out in a piercing growl, much unlike what ANYONE was used to hearing from her. "LESSER DRAGON [1200/1000]!" Compared to most of the dragons, it seemed weak and with it unable to breath fire it seemed useless, but at the moment it did a dandy job reburying the servants. And that was enough for Tea. "Destroy them all!" Her voiced hissed, not realizing that as the servants were lessening in quantity, that two feminine forms were heading her way.  
  
By the time the last pile of bones had fallen, and the small dragon had recoiled to its master's side, that's when she caught the laughing.  
  
"Anzu Masaki!"  
  
"Tea Gardener!"  
  
Upon hearing her name, the girl spun to look at the brick wall her and Shinkou had been sitting upon before. That's where the black and dark-gray clothed blondes were, below them on the ground were two sneering Kuramas, winged-beasts that had a tail with the length of a whip. The two beings stalked forward, beaks opening to let lose a shrilling sound that scratched across the air.   
  
"What do you want? Who are you?!"  
  
The one in black that had called her by "Anzu" jumped forth, landing skillfully and well-balanced a few feet from Tea. "Who are we? Does it matter? You will be dead soon enough anyway. Oh well….I suppose giving our names will be burnt to your skull as you journey to Limbo. My name is Akisame, my sister back there is Akki. Are you satisfied now?" The voice bemocked her, making the brunette slightly tense, but she ignored it and ordered her dragon forth.  
  
"You may act tough, but your monsters are nothing compared to mine! So why do you even bother trying to kill me?"  
  
Akki laughed out and jumped down besides her sister, crossing her arms and moving her head in such a way that one of the Kuramas moved up besides her. "Is that all you think about? Petty card stats that some loud-mouthed baka writes down? The card and a monster are incredibly different, but even if you managed to summon that…dragon, you still don't understand the bonds. The Kurama will rule over you," she hissed that last sentence, watching both Kurama take to the air and begin the decent on Tea and her Lesser Dragon.  
  
******  
"Bakura…..Bakura!" Yami gave a heart-wretched sigh as the other's blank stare never faded. Was he still haunted by how Yami had released him off Osiris? Was this all Yami's fault that they're stuck here now?  
  
'Iie, stop thinking like that!' Yami mentally scolded himself, taking a breath and pulling his hand back before coming down and backslapping Bakura across the face, causing the other to snap his head up, eyes raged now.  
  
"What the fuck was that for?!"  
  
A forceful hand grabbed Bakura's cheek, forcing russet eyes to meet crimson.  
  
"What do you think you're DOING?! Do you want to get caught again and die by HER?! Because, hell, I don't want either of us nabbed and if you're still dwelling over the past with what I screwed up with on Osiris, I told you I'm not going to be that much of a bastard again! Do you listen to me when I talk? Do you even realize how much I care?" He went quiet by Bakura's bewilder expression and sighed, standing and turning his back to the other. "….Guess not…."  
  
"You good for nothing RATS! Do you really think you can run?!" Ayane's voice rose from within the stone area of the "palace" and she wasn't far away. "Dammit, Lenokei! Can't you do ANYTHING right and stay with the prisoners?!"  
  
"Seems to be time to hang in the towel…damn, though we had a ch-"   
  
"Wait!"  
  
Yami turned slightly, reddened eyes looking sadly at a now standing (and shaken) Bakura, a look of question coming from the former Pharaoh. "I-I do trust you….Yami…"   
  
"Do you?"  
  
"I'm not running anymore, am I?"  
  
A smile fixated itself across Yami's face, but now he was able to hear Ayane's footsteps coming close. "Come on, talk later….RUN NOW! We'll have to get your ring back some other time…"  
  
He turned quickly, making sure Bakura was following before running across the bridge….yet it was damn long in any case. "What's the point of running though if Osiris can't be summoned…?"  
  
Yami shot a glance back, both of them halfway across the bridge, a furious Mistress in the doorway behind them. His attention focused back to Bakura. "Every palace, if you could call this one, has a temple of some sort where any magic spell is cancelled, we find it, we can get out." Crimson eyes fell ahead, just a few more steps of safety…  
  
"Bastards…RUPTURA!"  
  
In the lead of Bakura, Yami blanched, turning around as he made the doorway and watching the part of the bridge Bakura was on begin to crumble. "JUMP!"  
  
"Kamisama…." Bakura mouthed, finally truly trusting Yami, taking his remaining bit of energy to kick away from the solid surface breaking away..  
  
******  
"I don't know what's going to be accomplished flying around here…" Shinkou murmured, calmly sitting cross-legged on the head of his Red-Eyes, scouting his eyes about lazily at the city below. "Maybe it'd be more useful to go back to the Shadow Realm….Iie….that's probably a bad idea…" He gave a light sigh, running a hand through the russet hair that hung over his eyes currently before pulling the top five cards of his deck. "Blackland Fire Dragon, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Penguin Soldier, Tremendous Fire and…" He paused, examining the second magic card he was holding. "…Shallow Grave." Again he gave a sigh, getting closer in thought about returning to the realm of darkness.  
  
But he was fooling with himself, there was nothing left for him to tamper with, though nothing much was here either.  
  
"Wait a second…" His hazel eyes blinked shortly, slowly telling his dragon to go higher into the air to not be seen, for his eagle-like eyes had spotted the hikari duo and their pet dragon. "….They're supposed to be dead….heh, well then…"  
  
******  
"I got you!"   
  
Bakura sunk against Yami's grip, tightly holding to the other a moment before looking out behind him, taking in the fact that him and the other were right on the edge of parish. Yami took that away, backing into the secondary building, away from the charging Mistress and Lenokei. "We have to find the inner temple…"  
  
"You think it's that easy?" Bakura breathed out, finally recovering enough to talk.  
  
"Is anything ever easy?"  
  
"………….."  
  
"That's what I figured…we should really keep moving though, that….Ayane isn't going to give up, and I have a feeling Rekanna might be somewhere in this building…." Yami spoke out, starting to move off as Bakura began to say something, the tri-haired reacting by turning back around.  
  
"Just one thing…" he bit his lip softly, looking away, "thanks for…catching me a minute ago.."  
  
"Did you think I'd let you fall…?" Worry struck easily into both minds, but Yami managed to bury it over with a serious voice, but the fact he was actually WORRIED of the other's real level of trust was, became a sudden joy to Bakura.  
  
"I wouldn't have jumped if I though you wouldn't catch me."  
  
******  
Waizu turned his head to Isis slowly, eyes widening as he drew his head back, moving away from Seto in a slow pace. He was going to kill the human. He was actually going to kill! It would have been the Dark Magician's free will to end the life of his master's kind… How could his mind have faltered just that much…?  
  
A tragic time for everyone.  
  
"….I…"  
  
Shadi took his place again, ignoring the magician's slight problem and going to their own. "We came here to figure out what happened to the boy Yugi Motou, who took him, why maybe… Anything that could help us find and help him."  
  
"There isn't much we can give."  
  
Gazes shifted upon another arriving monster, Yuumei, the Duel Monster Change of Heart. She gave a light sigh, shaking her head to Celtic as she had found no other "worthy" survivors. "The one who took the Pharaoh's light, was the one with the Blue-Eyes. It obeyed his every command, and there are a very small amount of people who can do that with OTHER'S dragons. They're dangerous. But who the man is exactly, we haven't a clue. Yet anyway…" She paused, moving past them to the crystalline lake, or what was slightly left of it, staring within the water. "The boy is already free, it is my master and the Pharaoh who may need the help now…" Yuumei's eyes closed like feathers, but snapped open as she paled terribly. "Oh dear….t-they're walking…"  
  
"Normally humans do that, Yuumei…" the female side of Waizu inquired.  
  
"No…..you don't get it…"  
  
"….What does my sister not get…?"  
  
"They're walking into……a trap………."  
  
******  
Dun, dun, dunnnn! Neh, I kinda wanted this a longer chapter, and do more with Tea….but I have to do something with others before I can torment her. PLEASE REVIEW! Was it an ok chapter? Any suggestions? ANYTHING????  
  
Oh, and one quick thing… I did go a larger jump with Yami and Bakura, like Yami confessing he cared for the other…but they are NOT all lovey-dovey together, ok? Heh, just had to clear that up….I thought I had one other thing, but, well….I forget XD  
  
Ja! Er…donno when I'll get the next chapter up. I mean, this IS my vacation week…so….whatever…. 


	17. Kurushimi

Kurushimi- pain; distress; suffering

Let's see how many more characters we can torment! XD!! Sorry, I feel kind of hyper. See, I just read over my first chappie of my ONLY original story (please go read! Link is in my bio!), and it's all in various character PoV's, so when reading out loud, it's…..yeah. But it's a fantasy story with related with dragons in this world that are from another but disguised as humans…..but…never mind, I haven't gotten any reviews on it, not like I expect to…

Back to this fic though. I made a promise-ish thing with one of my reviews that if she updates one of her fics, I'll update this. She updated faster than I thought she would oO;;; Neh….so you see my problem? Probably not. But my muses tell me never to do that again, and they all have magic of some sort….so….I really don't want to mess with them.

Chibi Clef: ::Runs around Yami waving staff.::

Yami: ::Clutching onto Bakura for dear life.::

Bakura: Curse chibis….

Shinkou: HA! I'm safe!

Only because I need to have fun with you later in this chapter.

Shinkou: Oi….

Yes, my four beloved muses. All tormented in some way, but mostly by the chibi who has a nice was of casting magic. Very nice. But he already fried me for not starting this yesterday…I was working on a model (Zoids, now done, Berserk Fury). So after being done ranting some, here's chapter…what? Seventeen? ^^!! Yay! At twenty I'll post another disclaimer, this story is gonna be long…I know that for a fact as at some point it'll twist into Egypt for a glimpse of the past and then THAT doesn't go to easily….Eheh, right….chapter…um….REALLY weird opening, new charries popping up…

(Not letting you read yet! Going over speaking stuff again, one added one)

/Yugi to Yami/

//Yami to Yugi//

{Ryou to Bakura}

[Bakura to Ryou]

*Malik to Marik*

~*Marik to Malik*~

\Marik to Ra\

\\Ra to Marik\\

| Yami to Osiris | (At last!)

|| Osiris to Yami ||

"I'll go down there, but aren't you afraid I'll find the bones of your last son?" -Whatever the son's name is: Greetings From Tucson 

******

"Serenity, run already!"

"But….but what about you…?"

"Just go! Those things keep coming!" 

The young Wheeler watched through her pained eyes as Dungeon Dice Monsters creator, Duke Devlin beat through fleeting Skull Servants. It seems Tea wasn't the only one trying to be pulled apart by them, but this was getting out of hand! Servants of the dead, and yet who was their real master? "No….it doesn't matter!" Duke hissed to himself, being thrown back towards a bookshop on the side of the open road. 

"Serenity! Duke!" A masculine voice rang, both looking up or doing some version of a turn to look at the running Tristan, who soon was tripped by the skeletal beasts and fell into the tar. "What is this?! Why are we being attacked?! And…by…..by _Duel Monsters_!?"

Duke stood shakily, watching as the creatures seemed to freeze where they were, not even trying to move as if something shut down within them. The three in the area glanced around bluntly, as if daring each other or one of the servants to move. Perhaps it was lucky for them that no one was in the streets, them being the smart ones to have cleared out at the sign of danger.

As Tristan came close to the two, Serenity easily fell into his embrace, looking around in fear as Duke moved into the deserted street, jaded eyes gazing around blankly. But it was the male brunette to speak up first. "I wonder where they went…"

"Perhaps they found a new meal," a voice hissed a laughter, causing the three to look up towards a street light. It could be easy to say that what they saw brought more worry across than the Skull Servants had. Human or demon, that was the question in their minds. The body itself had seemed….modified off of a humanoid, eyes black, raven hair spiked up and it chuckled again through lips and teeth that seemed more feline than human. That's maybe what its cross-over seemed from. Ears, yes (black); tail, hell yeah, a long length at that; and scaled wings held open a moment before withdrawing, ebony claws instead of hands circling around the metal as it moved for a better view of the three, and mainly of Serenity. "Master wants the girl…" The lizard-like voice cooed, before turning dark again. "Yess…..I see why, the girl is perfect…"

"Stay back!" Tristan snapped out, shielding Serenity from the abomination as best he could. The creature was literally a black fiend, clothing and all, which was the more reason not to hand over his girlfriend.

"Foolish human! Master will not take to delay, hand over the girl and go on your way!"

"Yeah? Or what?"

"Tristan you idiot!"

He glanced over to Duke who was hitting his head on the door of a closed store, turning back to the two in danger once again. "Why do you want her _anyway_?"

"A key! Master needs a key….her purr-fect, yes…"

******

"We came here to find how Yugi was captured….but we've gotten that answer, and now you're telling us that Yami and Bakura are walking into a trap…?" Seto backed up a bit as he spoke to the monsters, mainly Yuumei with an uncertain pale nature about her body and skin. She gave a nod and he sighed, turning away to think which gave the girl magician time to speak up.

"Can't you contact your master?"

"I need his hikari's link to do that….and that's impossible…"

Silence ensued, humans and Duel Monsters both a loss for words. And it didn't matter what they did, because the mice had already found the cheese, and were caught by the keeper.

******

All doors of the current squared room were sealed, no way of escaping. The only good thing of where two certain spirits found themselves was that they were in the inner temple they had been searching for. But Yami was on edge, and Bakura could easily see it, which was the main reason they were still in the room.

"What do you sense…?"

"I…" He shook his head slightly, "I'm not sure…"

"Perhaps it's me!" Joyful sounding voice, too much for some people to be pleased with. One of the High-Priestesses from Egypt easily passed through one of the doors and entered in, smirking at the two. "Go ahead, call your little god, it'll do you no good."

Yami's fists tightened as he stared at her, hands not even moving to get his card and prove he could summon it. He knew, just like she did that it wouldn't awaken, even if the spell holding him back would cancel out. The only one who didn't know, was Bakura.

"Yami, call the damn beast already!"

"I can't….she bewitched this place…"

"But you said-"

"Idiot. Well at least I know good ol' Pharaoh here knows magic better than _YOU_," she gave a playful laugh and Bakura tensed slightly, but took note to how Yami moved infront of him.  
  
"Leave him out of this."

"Hn. Let me explain, little thief, you should know that High Priests and Priestesses are the ONLY ones who can use magic in temples….which means….well, do you know what that means, thief?

"…..We have no defense…"

"Exactly!" The laugh rang out again, the only thing stopping her high pitched cry was Yami's firm voice, breaking away every means of sound in the room. He wouldn't settle for this, never, he couldn't let these things keep happening! 

"Rekanna Shinsei….What have you become….?!"

"Come now, don't take things so defensive." A smirk rose over her face, her approach coming closer as if she were trying to reach Bakura, but Yami was continuously in her way. She growled in anger until a second figure slid into the room, neither of the spirits sensing the energy until Yami found himself thrown painfully into a wall.

"Well that was fun," Ayane followed up Rekanna's smirk with a much darker one, her arm lowering after the simple spell.

"Yami!" Bakura turned to move to the other, but Rekanna grabbed him into a false embrace for him to try and struggle free of. "Dammit, let me go!"

"Aw…poor little struggling thief, what will you do?"

Ayane took a minor glance at the two before moving until Yami was at her feet. "I despise you more than anything. And there is no way you can escape me now." Dazed eyes looked up at her before he was torn away from the ground, being held eye to eye with the Mistress. "You say you don't know who I am, and yet you know _HER _perfectly well!" Her voice lashed, using the hand not holding Yami to point out to Rekanna. Her other hand was beginning to draw blood from his neck, nails digging into the flesh and causing the former ruler to cringe. "Does that hurt?" Silence. "_Good_." She threw him to the floor again and backed away, turning to Bakura. "Say goodbye to Pharaoh. I'm surprised you haven't wanted him dead sooner."  


Bakura turned his eyes to the weakened other after giving up with his struggle, the first spell Ayane had used on his sent him too limp to even try and move. Again his attempt to be free from the High Priestess began, but it seemed hopeless as both women gave a laugh at his futile attempt.

"Yes, yes, little robber…" Ayane moved before him, grasping his chin and forcefully and painfully kissing the other, earning a very quiet whimper from Yami on the floor. She chuckled and pulled back from the growling being. "My silver fiend…enjoy this death now, will you?" He stayed silent, looking away from the scene with closed eyes as she approached a foot from Yami, casting a minor spell first to burn against the other's skin, a test for her magic to play around. But her face became serious and dark. "Any last words?"  


******

"Kitty, kitty…" 

Tristan's eyes went wide, feeling Serenity suddenly gone from his embrace, not able to believe it as he searched for her, a scream from above bringing his eyes up to the traffic light where the creature had previously been. Now it was back, and with a catch. "Mm'k…must be going now! Can't have master waiting now, can we?" It trailed a claw through Serenity's hair, holding her gently as its wings unfolded and stretched out into the air.

"Waiting my ass….hand her over!" Duke cursed, moving over towards the pole of the light and beginning to climb up it, thus Tristan doing the same a little late and they both fell off in a heap. 

"Foolish humans, foolish, foolish!" The creature sang and laughed, trailing a single claw up to the back of the girl's head, a minor spark forming between the two and Serenity fell limply unconscious. "Yes….perfect now! Ciao!" It took to the air before the two men could get off the ground in time, watching the Wheeler taken off into the black sky. Duke immediately lashed at the other.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"What?! It is not!"

"Arg! Bastard! Now what're we going to do…?"

"………"

******

"Hai…" Yami whispered from where he lay, making the best of his last words. Or sentences, whatever was allowed. "Bakura…I'm sorry.."

The russet eyes turned and held to the other. "Why are _you _sorry…?"

The spirit forced a smile to his face, atoned to a darker bit from Ayane's previous spell torture. "Because I couldn't save you from here. I thought it would be an easy task….guess not…" His eyes shut a bit more and Ayane was beginning to get impatient. 

"Yami!" Bakura snapped out, grunting at Rekanna's strength. "It wasn't your fault, it was these two hazards! And that other one…Lenokei or what the hell his name was…"

"Enough!" Ayane hissed, raising her palm open towards Yami, the dark energy of a final spell gathering into it. And she had wished so much of a death full with torment and despair, but he was getting on her nerves! At least she still had the silver fiend..

Yami breathed in, crimson eyes looked up to Bakura with pain and sorrow as he managed a whisper. "I love you…Bakura."

Eyes went wide and the other yelled out over the rush of the spell engulfing the Yami, Rekanna finally letting go as he dropped to his knees, staring in shock at the sphere of darkness pushing into Yami's body. 

"No…"

"At last…finally dead," Ayane whispered, but that quiet voice was overruled by happiness, her form spinning away and heading for the door. "I love being an exception to this fair room." She patted the wall with a smile, the level her magic has become being able to bypass the bewitched room. And it only took over a Millennia for her power to grow enough for this task. 

"Mistress.."

"Hn?" Ayane looked back at Rekanna, who was having trouble being able to say more, backing up as the Mistress pivoted to see what was spooking the other. Her own lips forgot how to work as Yami was hovering off the ground, limp but alive, a deep crimson sphere completely surrounding him, enough to even hypnotize Bakura. "How…"

The spherical glow faltered and pulled away from Yami, moving to the center of the room before extending, the light breaking through the floor and ceiling, and Ayane finally could see the God Card Osiris in the center of the orb. She gulped as the creature began to form, center body and growing to head and tail until its shape was complete and it soared out of the floor some of only its upper body was sticking from the hole it made. The head snaked under Yami's floating form, resting its master atop its head before moving towards its ceiling hole, the two women too blank for words to do anything, the monster hissing towards Bakura who finally snapped out of it and got on the beast.

"Ja! The 'silver fiend' won't be returning here anytime soon!" Bakura gave a laugh, watching the room fade from view as the creature descended back towards the ground, the dark air getting to him slightly as he pulled the fainted other into his arms, smiling lightly to softly hold the other, resting his own head atop the spiked one.

******

Tea fell to the ground, feeling a cut down her arm as the Lesser Dragon stood over her. Shouldn't she be able to beat these two…_things_?! "Can't be that hard.." Her voice hissed to herself, standing once again and cracking her knuckles as the two Winged-Beasts flew at her again, but luckily missed and Tea was beginning to get uneasy again. 

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the card Shinkou had given her, never being able to summon it yet, though the dark dragon she DID summon was better… She gave a sigh, slipping the card back in her pocket and shot a glare to Akisame and Akki. "This your idea of FUN?"

"Our idea of orders, Gardener."

"What kind of orders?!"

"To kill you, simple."

Tea gaped at those words. Who would go out of their way to kill her?! '_People have no lives…' _

******

Shinkou sighed, looking down at where the two hikaris and dragon rested, shaking his head lightly. "Let them live for now…everyone thinks they're dead anyway…" He muttered, setting a hand on his Red-Eye's head and telling it to leave, but the being remained stationery, seeing and thinking "prey". "Don't you DARE start judging me now, Red, now _GO_!" 

The dragon gave a hiss yet obeyed, tail flicking to the side and it changed its direction back towards the main area of the city.

******

Bakura blinked as Yami stirred awake, body stiffening in shock and Bakura had to set a hand on the other's cheek, whispering out for the other to calm down. "Relax…we're away from them…"

"B-Bakura…?" The crimson hues looked up as Yami tilted his head back to the smiling other.

"Seems we both have chanced death, let's not do that anymore, hn?"

"Un.." Yami whispered, looking away uneasily, but Bakura pulled his head back to face him, chuckling at the semi-shocked other before pressing his lips to the former pharaoh. The small amount of shock became greater, overly surprised that Bakura was doing this. Either it was a dream, or he had let his mind's words slip before he was supposed to die. Yami felt the other open for him, startled that he had the opportunity to slide against the other, though that wasn't enough time for Yami, who pulled away hearing the roar of the god. Bakura sighed in annoyance and held to Yami, both sets of their eyes trying to figure what had started the beast.

|| There's a girl down there being ambushed by Skull Servants and Kurama.. ||

Yami blinked, looking around to find the source of the second voice in his mind, the first normally being Yugi, but that had been impossible for quite awhile. 

| O-Osiris…? |  


He heard a grunt in responds. | But…how? |

|| Your mind cleared up in that room enough for this link to establish. And your mind finally agreed with your heart allowing myself to be summoned over the room's spell. ||

| Oh. |

"Ne…Yami, that's Tea down there!" Bakura snapped out suddenly, causing Yami to jump a bit before mentally telling Osiris to land. The silver-haired helped Yami down before both moved towards the one being attacked. 

"Tea!"

Akisame glanced up at the new arrivals, the twins calling back their Kurama to their sides, the Skull Servants there backing off and freezing a distance away. 

"Wha..?" The brunette turned around, the Lesser Dragon hissing at them and she could only stare, hand reaching for her pocket again and fetching her Penguin Knight. "Y-You two…" She bit her lip, a wave of anxiety hitting over her before she let her mind take over, grasping the suddenly glowing card and _thinking _through it to Shinkou. _'They're here…Yami and Bakura are here…'_

******

The servant blinked, he could feel his opposing Penguin Soldier glowing in his pocket and hear Tea clearly in his mind, shocked that she had given him this information. But he couldn't let his job go to pass and snapped to his dragon to fly back to Domino Station. 

Upon flying over the land below, he caught sight of more than he could have though, not just the two yamis and Tea. But various Skull Servants, Kurama, Osiris, and the two females he had heard of, but never caught their names. His dragon took landing behind the two women, jumping down and running a bit closer before hissing out. "What's going on?! Who sent you two here!?"

"The Mistress," they spoke in unison, turning to him slightly as he broke passed them, now off to the side some from Tea. 

"What…she didn't think I could handle things myself or something?!" He gave a grunt, shaking his head and glaring up at Yami and Bakura.

"Tea, come on, let's get out of here," Yami spoke out calmly, but the girl hadn't moved. "Hey, what's wrong? We have to get away from them! They're working under the girl causing all of this mess of the world!"

"No.."

Shinkou, Yami, and Bakura all gazed at her, her head shaking a bit to follow her words. "No, I'm **not **going with you both.." Her legs walked her backwards until she was standing besides Shinkou, watching Yami gape like a fish until speaking out again.

"What're doing?! He's on the opposing side!"

"I know that, I'm not stupid," she hissed out, leaning against the one besides her, being taken into a half embrace. Yami began running towards them, even when Bakura tried to hold him back, but he never got far as the Lesser Dragon lashed out near him, almost tackling the former ruler until Bakura pulled him out of the way.

Akki laughed out, getting quite annoyed by all this nonsense. "You all are FOOLS! You can't even see the big picture here! The Mistress isn't the all-powerful on here!"

"Blind!" Akisame continued after her sister. 

"Well what aren't we seeing..?" Bakura muttered, not liking how it seemed to be four versus two. 

The previous talking female knelt by her Kurama, stroking the serene beast's forehead and speaking out all-knowingly. "None of you get it. There are two games being played here, one of revenge and one of destruction to make the revenge. History WILL repeat itself, that's obvious.."

"I still don't understand.." Yami mouthed, slumping tiredly against Bakura as it seemed no one was planning on attacking anytime soon, everyone having been listening to the two blondes. 

Akki sighed and stepped forward. "Look, Pharaoh, you can't see it, that's apparent enough.. Ayane believes you were her abuser in the past when she was a slave, and since then Rekanna has been supportive to the girl and building up her dark Shadow Powers until now, where she seems the most powerful one, but she's _not_. This is all just beginning!"

******

….. ….. …..

That was fun! XD Gave some answers to some questions, stuck Yami and Bakura together at LAST! Seventeen frigging chapters it took them….SEVENTEEN! Gods…well, I always said it would take them awhile, but did you people believe me? Nah, course not! XD And as Akki said "This is just the beginning" ne, she's right, because it really is, in a way. Mrr…and I know the part with Duke, Tristan, and Serenity was probably REALLY confusing and most likely won't come up again for awhile, but it will be seen again and that creature will be back.. 

But Yami can finally talk with Osiris mentally ^^ For those who _may _remember, there was a point on the Kaiba Corp rooftop before Bakura's lil' suicide attempt where Marik was talking with Yami about how he could talk to the Sun Dragon, and then Marik speaking to the Sun Dragon of why Yami can't talk with Osiris. Answer was because his mind wasn't clear, and since he confessed his love to Bakura before he was going to be killed, Osiris was summoned passed the spell of the room and the link between the two was formed.

Did I just make things MORE confusing? Or did it help? Mrr…whatever….Tea has literally betrayed Yami and Bakura with moving to Shinkou, THAT'S the scene I've been waiting on, lol, the reason I couldn't torment Tea more last chapter. Needed Osiris down and then her to tell Shinkou that the two were there for him to come….

Oi…keep ranting, must type! Mrr…sorry this took more time than I wanted to get it out, but I was working on a new ficcy called "The Pain You Gave Me" Go read, onegai! But read the warnings…and review on this AND the other ficcy if you choose to read it!

::Sniffle.:: My spell check RESET! Oo;; Or it did something because alllll the names and such I had in it are said to be wrong! ARG! Not fair..

Ja! 


	18. Zendannuki

Zendannuki- Headlines 

I feel proud! Because I've finally figured how I can get italics and bold and….all spiffy stuff! Baka me here has been saving it as a .txt when I can save as- wow- really? Dun, dun, dunnnn…. **.html/.htm**. Jeez, you know how stupid that made me feel? Mrr…but it does help…so just another not for in the story…

__

'Thoughts'

Yami: Do you really have to point that out..?

Yes.

Yami: Hn…

Oh just go! ::Grunt.:: Muses get on my nerves…especially when I'm so frickin' tired…Had a volleyball tournament today (March 2) and I woke up at 6:30am and got home at 4:30pm. Very happy though ^^ My team was in third place out of nine teams, and my team is called the "developmental team" in our lover-ly Hardrock program….EVERYONE HAIL ME!!!

Bakura: Like that'll ever happen.

*Twitch* Bakura…. Just for that comment, you're getting an angst scene in this!!

Bakura: Dammit.. 

"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell, and I know right now ya' can't tell, but stay awhile and maybe then you'll see, a different side of me." -Unwell: Matchbox 20

******

"After the downfall of top of the line, Kaiba Corp headquarters, researchers are trying to find not only the cause of the incident, but the darkness that has recently blanketed our skies, not in only Domino, but the world. In just our city their have been sightings of unusual creatures that leaves ranting folks saying that Duel Monsters are really alive, others unknown to the card game are beginning to form mobs atop buildings and welcome 'aliens' to Earth, and more people are blasting out 'end of the world' music."

"Scientific studies have yet over the past five hours, find the cause of our lack of light. Though this phenomenon has earned a common name between the people and researchers. The project of 'Forever Night' has begun, and hopefully we will see the sun sometime soo-" 

The TV finally was ruthlessly turned off, the remote being thrown back into the already broken front showcase window. "Dammit, I've heard that so many times already! Do they just play the same report on every channel?!"

"Relax, Tristan….don't you think we should look for Serenity…?"

"Why of **course**!" The brunette fumbled, running a hand over his thick hair and glancing over to Duke. "I was just about to say that, mind you."

"Right, of course…"

******

"Will you two please get out of my way…" Shinkou hissed out, glaring at the sisters and then to Yami and Bakura. If the tomb-robber lived, it wouldn't matter to him, the only one who truly wanted to suffer was Yami. Former Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt…

In the present he was like a wanted man, so many people seeking some sense of revenge on him, any way to make _him _bow to _their _feet. No, now he was not Pharaoh, he was not a great ruler and for than it was his turn to be at the bottom of everyone's power.

Akki and Akisame glanced back at Shinkou, raising brows to each other before turning away and literally vanishing into the surrounding mist, the Kurama being gone as well. Some magic was better than others, this being a grand example.

"Good," he gave a mutter, glancing behind him to his Red-Eyes Black Dragon and then back at Osiris with a light sneer playing over his features, "just because you have that God Card, does **not** make you any more superior to me!" 

Yami tiredly sank to his knees, the previous battle catching up to him again, his dazed crimson eyes only half open as double-vision kicked in. Bakura glanced down at the other, then to Osiris and back to Shinkou. Something else was in the other's voice, he could tell because the thief himself has had the same tone many times before. But what did he use it for? No matter…that wasn't important at the moment.

"Osiris can easily take down a single Red-Eyes," Bakura stated in an a-matter-of-fact tone. 

That set something off in Shinkou, voicing for the Red-Eyes to move forward as he summoned ahead the two other dragons he had with him: Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Blackland Fire Dragon. "Well….we found Kaiba's Blue-Eyes…" The yami continued until his eyes caught Shinkou handing two cards over to Tea.

"What're these for?" She whispered in confusion, staring over a Steel Ogre Grotto #1 and a Polymerization.

"If you want to help, use them, if not, stay in the back."

She honestly didn't have two seconds to think, throwing the two cards out to surround on either side of her Lesser Dragon, glowing and adding to the beast and its size became superior, looming like a serpent with Shinkou's other three and glaring out towards the masters of Osiris. Metal Dragon [1850/1700] was what it had formed into, and Tea gave a smirk in her happiness as she looked up at _her _monster. Her very own dragon.

******

"Look at all of the police…" Yugi whispered, peering down from a roof they had climbed upon near Kaiba Corp. His soft violet eyes fell and turned back to a distressed yami, who was sitting cross-legged on the building and staring forward blankly. Who would have thought he would worry so much over his hikari. 

Joey stood over the other, finally kneeling down before him, hands on the dark one's shoulders and trying to snap him out of it. "Come on Marik….relax….they'll be ok, I swear they're ok…" 

"It's not working, Joey.."

"Don't you think I know that?!"

Yugi started at the raise of the other's voice, backing away a bit and letting Joey go back to tending the other, looking into the sky with hopes. _'Please say you both made it out, Yami…' _Yugi gave a sigh, his mental connection with the other broken away again by the darkness spell. With his eyes to the sky, he didn't notice Joey taking out Marik's Millennium Rod until there was a faint whimper. Yugi looked back with wide eyes, watching Marik lay on his side, holding his head as Joey stood over him with the rod at hand.

"Joey! Why did you do that?!"

The blonde ignored his short friend, looking down sternly at Marik. "Stop acting like a little kid! You can't let a simple _scene _like this get to you! For God's sake, Malik and Ryou are **FINE**!"

"How do you know that?!" Marik sat up, glaring at his loved one. "How can you possibly know that that building wasn't obliterated before they could escape?!"

Joey looked away as Marik stood. "….I don't. But if you keep acting like this they might as well be-"

"Yes, yes…two little hikaris are very well alive…" 

The three turned to a new arrival, the same being that had swiped Serenity, and now its eyes were devilishly set upon a second being to snatch from loved ones. "I've seen them. But no….master does not want them…" Its voice cackled a bit, head down so eyes couldn't be seen until it lashed up its head, insanely laughing before folding in its wings and diving to tackle Joey with ease, even if it was smaller. 

Marik immediately moved to get the creature away, feeling a sting as a claw slashed against his arm and he broke away, hand over his bleeding wound. Using a small amount of dark magic, he was able to seal it, but in that time period, the being was in the air again, just enough so Joey's legs were just barely on the roof, arms in a painful position being his back. "Master wants you….yes you are same blood……yesss…"

"Get away from him!!" Marik sneered, snatching up the discarded rod and hitting it like a bat with full power into the beings head, knocking it further away on the roof. The creature hissed in pain and began to regain its balance as the yami moved closer, separating the cover of the dagger, grasping the upper end of the rod as Yugi helped Joey behind him. "How **_dare _**you so much as touch him!!" Anger seethed in his eyes, but he seemed to pause as if waiting for some voice to heed him into stopping, none came. It seemed the grounded creature still had trouble moving after the first hit, unable to see straight either as Marik slashed into him. 

******

Ayane's form sat silently to the floor, staring down into the inner-temple's flooring, mainly the hole created by Osiris. Rekanna merely watching, though was smirking all the while as her eyes kept to the girl. 

"You said nothing would ever stop my reign of power…"

"And nothing has yet to, Ayane."

"They keep escaping. All I have to show is the Millennium Ring."

Rekanna rolled her eyes. _'Stupid child…' _But pointed down the hole to emphasize. "As long as you have that spell of darkness, you still have power over them. They fear us, and that is the reason they run. They fear _you_."

"I'm so tired, Rekanna…" The girl whispered, lowering her head lightly. What was she doing this all for again? Ah. Yes, revenge, a word that seemed to be slipping from her vocabulary. But she would always remember. Rekanna would always remind her. 

Ayane finally stood and left the room, moving back to the broken bridge and easily jumping over the gape, moving back towards the other building. "_LENOKEI!!_" She raged out upon her entrance, the man stumbling out towards her from a near room.

"H-Hai, Mistress?" 

She sighed, shaking her head slightly. "I want you to…" She paused and then simply walked past him. 

"Want me to what…?"

"I don't know…"

"Mistress…?"

"Hn..?" She faced him again, eyes hardly open and she held in a yawn. _'So tired…' _

He sighed as she had earlier, but this one seemed more in defeat. "I really don't think they've done anything wrong.."

"Whatever.." Ayane continued walking, her voice so soft that its demanding nature seemed to be in hibernation. Lenokei thought a moment, before following after her, not trusting his mistress alone in this state of mind.

******

"Pharaoh, do you remember your aunt?"

Yami blinked up at Shinkou, an arm draped over Bakura's shoulders as he held himself upon his feet and gazed to the other, who stepped in front of his Red-Eyes for a better view.

"What's THAT have to do with anything…?"

"Answer me!"

Tea glanced at Shinkou, brows furrowed as she tried to understand what he was getting at, but her mind came out with a blank answer. "Do you remember how she was **always **there for you like a mother you never had? How she gave you whatever you wanted, you were like her own son..?"

The former ruler finally gave into going alone with this. "Yes…but she never had any kids herself…"

Shinkou's brows twitched and he snapped out for his Red-Eyes to be ready on attack and Yami couldn't understand why. 

"What do you _mean_, 'she never had any kids'?!"

"That's what she always said!" Yami started forward, but started to collapse again and Bakura managed to keep him steady. "She said she never had any kids….that it was for the better, because any kid she may have had would probably be useless anyway…" Yami hadn't noticed (even with Bakura pulling him back) Shinkou's advancement towards him until he felt a gathering energy of dark magic around Shinkou, the other a mere twelve inches from the two. 

"You good for nothing fucking Pharaoh…"

Bakura embraced the other and stared up at Osiris, who seemed like he wouldn't do anything without an order to. The silver-haired grunted and watched the energy Shinkou pulled in, be shot right at the creature he was watching, momentarily stunning it before only a card fell to the ground. _'Damn…now it is four dragons and two humans against….two spirits…' _"How dare you….how DARE you say anything like that to me!!" Shinkou snapped, lunging forward to choke Yami, but Bakura was swifter and pulled the one in his arms away. 

Yami on the other hand seemed to panic. "What are you talking about?! I've done **nothing **to you! I don't even know who you freaking are! Everyone is going after me and I haven't an idea of **why**!"

"I could care less of what Ayane wishes to do with you and her reasons…" The brunette hissed deadly, stalking towards him again. "Do you realize your little aunty has lied to you? What else has she told you?! That she isn't just a damn women, that she was a goddess?! What other lies has she _fed _to your all-mighty-brain?!"  
  
"L-Lies…? What in Ra's name are you talking about?!"

Bakura nearly choked as Yami was torn from his arms, Shinkou holding Yami up with one hand by the shirt collar, the other clenching and unclenching as a fist down by his side. "She has a son."

Yami blinked, confused, but that was replaced by pain as he was thrown into the ground, looking up as Shinkou stood in anger over him. Bakura, like Tea, watched from afar, both knowing if they went near the bickering duo that something worse could happen.

"She has a son. That bastardly women **has **a son!!" He growled, lifting Yami up again, the other too bewilder to do anything in defense. "And you know what, Pharaoh? **I'M **her _useless _little son."

******

The small dragon stared over at the sleeping humans, the three of them (that includes himself) having still hid off in the alleyway. They were an interest to watch, they always seemed to be. It was a wonder if they knew how they slept curled against each other.

Probably not. Marik and Joey were that stupid when they slept close as well. 

But this was getting annoying. The two have been asleep for over two hours and they really should be going back into the main areas of Domino, it was probably less safe where they were. Furiru glanced into the sky momentarily before standing and floating into the air, whipping its tail against both their foreheads.

The effect was perfect, the two boys jumping awake, noticing how they were curled with one another, and moved away to stand, glaring with similar looks down at Furiru. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"

"We need to keep moving. Back to Domino, find your others."

The hikaris stayed silent as the body glowed darkly, the mist that made its body like that in the first place covering its body until the being was its original size. Furiru's head lowered, allowing both boys to climb on before walking out of the alley and opening the massive wings, moving a few short times before launching into the sky.

******

"Y-You are her s-son….?" Yami's mind was not handling over this one bit, and the other two in the area were gaping at the sudden turn of events. "But that's impossible! In my whole life in Egypt she never said anything about you, she was always around the palace, how could _you _be her son and _not _be around even once……?"

The brunette's face contorted at this and he growled, throwing Yami into Bakura who kept hold to him. "She locked me away near the Nile, I broke out after learning enough magic when I was around fifteen." His anger began to falter as Tea approached behind him slowly. "Are you serious? That she never said _anything_…?"

"Un. Not even a word…though, there were a few times when she would start talking, and then stop, taking some time and changing whatever subject she was going off about…"

"…….."

He looked out towards the line of dragons set up for a full out assault on Yami and sighed, calling back to of his own to leave Tea's and his Red-Eyes. There was no point, attacking would just be meaningless. His mind could feel Ayane off in the distance in her sky palace, and even she was getting doubts of her plans. The dragon read its master's mind and lowered down for Shinkou to jump upon its head, looking back through pained hazel eyes to his cousin. "My tasks are of no use now. Revenge is a matter through Ayane's eyes, no one else cares. The ones following her are doing it for power of their own reasons."

Yami rushed forward, though stumbled a bit and left Tea near Bakura. "Tell me why she's after my life!"

"I cannot."

"But you _know_!"

He shook his head with a sigh. "All _I _know is that you severely abused her in the past when she was a slave, and she hated it so much so High-Priestess Rekanna assisted the slave and gave her a small amount of Shadow Powers. Those powers have improved since then."

"_What_?!" Yami stood dumbfounded, the sudden news striking him as impossible. 

"Hey! Wait up! Don't leave me with _them_!" Tea snapped, starting forward to her own beast until Bakura grabbed her back and she hissed out in annoyance. "Let me go! _NOW_!"

"Stop being a bitch, girl. You are not going with him."

Her brows twitched and her eyes shifted from him to the dragon. "Metal Dragon!" At her voice the being uncurled and loomed like a serpent above Tea's captor. He gulped and released her, backing away a bit as she was instantly out of view, body rising up into the air and glowing, revealing three cards and Tea sitting upon the Red-Eyes' back. "Ja minna!" She shouted with a wave, and a bit of a smirk with that. In all her honesty, she did **not **intend to stay with the others. 

******

Yami remained how he stood as Bakura moved besides him, the dark mist still rolling along the ground, but no one else was there. "Perhaps they're losing interest in you?" The silver-haired suggested, but Yami just stared forward, eyes falling to the ground. 

"….I…._abused _her…?"

"Do you remember it?"

"Iie….I never did such a thing…"

"I know you didn't either," Bakura stated, causing a look of confusion to strike from Yami. "You've only had one slave during your term as Pharaoh. I know this for a fact, and you **never **treated that slave harshly."

"How do you know that…?"

Bakura gave a light chuckle and pointed to Yami and then himself as he spoke. "You Pharaoh, me tomb-robber," he paused slightly, folding his arms over his torso, "I got _caught _a lot because your guards cheated and stood out near where I hid for the night."

"_That's _how they caught you?! And here I thought they were smart…"

"Them? Smart? Ha! Don't think so." Yami gave the other a false glare at that and Bakura shrugged.

"Now wait a second….answer me this… How did you _always _manage to escape?" Yami frowned as Bakura began to laugh again, even though he was trying to control it. "I don't see what's so funny, Bakura…"

"I liked your slave. She fed me and then would free me, going back to your guards being stupid…she could always get the keys. She though I was just _so _innocent (which is partially true) and didn't deserve to be locked up. But of course, sometimes she'd wait a few days and confuse you. Were you trying to isolate me or something? I never saw anyone but her and a guard randomly acting like he was working." He glanced to Yami as the other looked away quietly. "Err…gomen…"

The former ruler glanced back and shook his head. "No…it's not your fault…" He suddenly stopped and looked almost encouraged, hands grasping Bakura's shoulders suddenly, gears turning in his mind. "What if it's possible that that slave was reincarnated? She could straighten out the facts! But…it'd be impossible to find her…"

__

'If I had the ring it would be easier….no matter.' Bakura leant over and kissed the shorter spirit's forehead and smiled when he pulled away. "Don't worry, I know where she is."

"Nani?! But…._how_…?"

"Uh, I ran into her a few times…"

"Sure that's what it was." For a moment, Yami seemed jealous, but there was a smirk on those lips and Bakura his him over the head crowed of hair. 

"It's not like that!!"

"Right."

"YAMI!!" Bakura shouted in annoyance, but the other turned and started to walk off, soon stopping a good distance and turning to yell out towards the opposing spirit.

"Are you going to show me the way or not…?"

Bakura muttered something to himself before sprinting to catch up with Yami. "Wait up, Pharaoh!"

"Don't you even **START **calling me that again!"

"THEN WAIT UP!!"

******

O…k…. Um, odd chapter ending, I must admit…

Odd chapter. But I had fun with Shinkou ^^ As I always seem to…I just like him, he's my favorite OC that I've created. Anyway… Err, sorry on lack of yaoi in this chapter XD Kinda was one of those explanatory ones… And I meant to go back to that stupid "hissy" creature, but I um…forgot. 

Ah! I finally figured who to pair Yugi with though! Might be a one-sided thing….but still… Won't be for awhile though, most likely, I have to figure it out some more, hehe. 


	19. Sureebu

Sureebu- Slave

And now I finally started this chapter! Lol, I was really bugged when FFN screwed up, because that's when I posted chapter 18. If you haven't read it, make sure you do, and please review on it! I mean you don't have to…but I got a total of **two **reviews on it because of FFN's screw up. 

Anyway, this chapter introduces Yami's reincarnated slave-ish character, who just to tell you now incase I can't explain it, she's about 10 or 11 years old and Yugi's height (she will **not **be Yugi's girlfriend) . Heh, and probably more bickering with Yami and Bakura but I will **try **to get them closer, hn, by chapter 20 I will introduce slightly the "all-mighty" kinda guy thing. But that'll come next chapter…So this one may be short, my apologies if that happens.

My muses are asleep right now, maybe that's why I got a brainstorm? Hn….maybe I should drug them more often…

"You can bring on every last one of you, IT WON'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!" -Major Ulube: G Gundam

************

"Akiko! Will you, _please_ get the door already!" 

"Hai! I am, I am…" A girl muttered, leaving her kitchen and a now neglected sandwich to run quickly to the never stopping doorbell. She paused her petite form, staring at the massive portion of wood before her and shifted direction to gaze out the window. Emerald eyes set as wide as possible and she fell away from the glass, knocking herself against a chair and ran back towards the stairs where her mother was on the second floor taking a shower. "I-It's just a salesman, mother! I'm sure…..I'm sure they'll- I mean he'll go away soon!"

Silvery hair, a tint of cerulean mixed within fell before the girl's terrified eyes. _'How is it possible?! T-the Pharaoh…? **And **Bakura here?! But they- the past- it makes no sense!!' _She shook her head and ran towards the back door, escaping that way in hopes to get around the house and into the streets without being caught.

************

"Are you sure she lives here…?" Yami questioned in suspicion as Bakura turned his back to the door with a sigh. After the thirty-fifth time of ringing the doorbell (indeed Yami counted), it seemed about time to give up on it. 

"Yes…"

"Are you positive…?"

"YES DAMMIT!" Bakura lashed and Yami held is hands up in fake defense. The taller of the two shook his head, looking out to the road when he thought he heard something, but the light fog hid whatever it was. Yami stared up at Bakura with confusion when the other gave an odd gaze back, the crimson eyes averting their sights to the Millennium Puzzle. A light golden flame engulfed the small item, the eye on the center taking on various colors that Bakura forced himself to look away from.

"Bakura, where are you _going_?!" Yami watched as Bakura moved off the front steps towards the streets and stopped, voice yelling out through the darkness.

"AKIKO MIKA!!" His eyes flashed back to the other who was stuck in another cloud of confusion. No time to explain. "Akiko! Get back here, why are you running?! AKIKO!"

"Why are you yelling, Bakura…?"

The spirit jumped and swore he almost died, the shorter girl standing right besides him looking up innocently. Yami moved slowly up behind Bakura, though remained off to the side in anxiety. The soft eyes swerved to him and he moved back slightly when the girl spoke quietly, unthreatened. "Pharaoh…"

"Please, don't call me that…" Yami started on instinct, everyone that has recently called him that has been trying to kill him. The girl stared in confusion. "Yami is just fine."

She nodded and looked back to Bakura. "Why are you here? I told you it was dangerous to come back!"

"You know how bad I am with listening."

Her brows furrowed in an angry way and she stalked towards him, if they were the same height she would have been right in his face. "Bakura! This isn't fun and games!"

Yami stepped between the two, not touching the girl one bit, but he held Bakura away with a touch of a hand. The crimson hues moved worriedly to the girl Bakura called Akiko. "We aren't here for fun and games…we need help to clear up an issue of the past…"

Her eyes widened. "What about."

Bakura gave Yami a look to back off and the other shamelessly did so, listening as the one he cared for spoke out. "All this darkness is caused by someone named Ayane. She claims to be a slave from the past that Yami abused severely, but I know you were his only slave. Something awful happened in that time, and we need to prove it false."

Akiko looked between the two, at least she wasn't finding the need to serve Yami anymore, but living in this time has helped that. "You can't be serious, Bakura! No! No I will **NOT **do it!"

"Please, Akiko…"

"Do what…?"

"I told you never ask me about that!" The arguing continued between the two lighter hairs, both ignoring Yami completely.

"Akiko, we need it though!"

"Why did you come back here?! Why couldn't you listen to me?! Do you realize what my parents will do!"

"Then I'll take it from them if I have to!"

"No, no, no, and **NO**!"

"Aki-"

"**WHAT IS GOING ON?!**"

************

Marik stared at the dead creature's body below him, pulling the rod slowly away from its rotting form. He turned as Joey and Yugi stepped up behind him, gasping a bit as Joey literally tackled him. Yugi smiled from behind the other blondes' antics, shaking his head lightly before turning to walk near the edge of the roof. The rubble of Kaiba Corp had quite a crowd, an assortment with people from the city, police, fire engines. Good thing only two people occupied the building.

"Hey! Yugi!"

Violet eyes blinked and looked around for the source of the voice, an accent accompanying the call that distinctively made it neither Marik nor Joey. His petite form turned to the other two, who blankly were staring into the sky, too tied in each other's embrace to do anything. The name was called again by a second voice when Yugi saw a massive form circling above as it glowed and lowered. 

The beast being unmistakably Furiru (though the three on the roof hadn't a clue), dropped Ryou and Malik both off on the roof near Yugi before fully minimizing itself to a smaller form.

"Malik! Ra, you survived!" Marik left the arms of a now jealous Joey and clung to his overly-shocked hikari, not being used to this side of his dark half. Maybe no one would ever adjust to it. The yami took note of the stares he was receiving and straightened himself from his hikari, arms folded and a cold look on his face. "What."

Joey gave a pout and moved to the internally depressed form, though on the outside the cold darkness showed. Now the Wheeler couldn't just let this attitude stay, how could he? The blonde gave a playful smile and snuck up behind his loved one, arms encircling the dark-tanned neck and lips brushed a kiss against it. When no reaction came, Joey gave a frown…well, more of a sulking expression. _'Hn. How dare he try and make me work…ever so stubborn.' _Joey licked his own lips slightly before giving a smirk and made a rather unpleasant move to the yami, biting down roughly on the earlobe closest to him. The action caused Marik to break from his "moment of darkness" and held back a scream of minor pain/surprise, forcing himself from Joey and glaring to the boy. 

"What in Ra's name was _THAT _for!?"

"Turning cold again, ignoring me, acting dark, ignoring me, hiding your feelings, ignoring me, being self-centered, igno-"

"I know, I know!" Marik interrupted, "ignoring you."

"Nu-uh! Ignoring everyone."

************ 

The current train of arguing was abruptly stopped when both forms turned to the sudden raise of Yami's voice. Akiko gulped light, Bakura blinked, but all both noticed after was the loud breath Yami was holding in be released. "What are you two arguing over…?"

Akiko folded her arms over her torso, face displaying in firmness that she would not say anything.

Bakura; however, had other plans, jabbed his thumb to the girl while he looked upon Yami. "She had a power within her to send people back to the past."

"He lies!"

"Akiko," Bakura growled at the girl who furrowed her brows back with a sigh. She shuffled her feet childishly and looked up at the two staring down at her, finally glancing away.

"Hai…I can send people to the past….but this is a bad idea!"

"I'm thinking the same thing…"  


Bakura's eyes flashed up to meet Yami's uncertainty, that being all he could see and began to speak again, softly. "Yami, you said it yourself you wanted to prove Ayane that what she believes happened is false, this is the only way…"

__

'Ayane…? Ohh…this will be bad…'

"What do you want me to do…? Go back and face _her _and see if she will willingly agree to come along on a little trip?! To _Egypt_…?"

"That sums it up."

"Bakura!" 

"What?" The silver haired asked with a bit of fake innocence, so he was enjoying himself. "It'll be easy, besides, I still need to get my ring back."

"And what if she decides to try and kill us AGAIN?!"

"Umm…"

"You didn't think of that now, did you?!" Yami snapped angrily, glaring darkly at the other for letting the thought of death slip by. They couldn't continue to chance it.

"Hn."

"Anou…" Akiko started to speak, lifting her eyes to the quarrel between the other two. "Do you two ever **not **fight? It's as bad as before," her voice stated with bravery, arms shrugged a bit as she thought to the past. She had all the memories, perhaps that was why she didn't fear seeing the Pharaoh again. 

Neither figures saw Bakura smirk until surprise took over, Yami being pulled straight up against the other, lips fully covered in a deep kiss. Bakura held the other's shirt collar to hold up Yami's shorter form to meet the soft flesh easier. Akiko stared widely as Yami finally realized what was going on, holding the opposing spirit in a fixed position by enclosing slender arms around his back.

Bakura pulled his face away and with a grin looking towards the girl, still embracing Yami and vice versa. "Is your question answered?"  


"Uh….um….hnn….Hai. It's answered."

************

"Are you two done now…?" Malik blinked, glancing at Ryou and Yugi and back at the duo, noticing his yami's expression move to annoyed. 

*I don't see what he's so bugged about. At least he has a boyfriend.*

~*Aibou?*~ A shocked voice came as the two Egyptians stared at each other in surprise. ~*Ittai..? But I thought our link was severed….?*~ Marik gave an exasperated look, plastered with confusion as his hikari returned the gaze, finally looking away with a slight blush.

*So did I…*

"Malik? Daijoubu, Malik?" Ryou tilted his head to the other curiously, prodding him lightly.

"Na? Yeah…I'm fine…" His blush faded and he attempted to perk up with a smile. "I'll be fine!"

Yugi stared around the crew, than moved over and knelt by the miniature dragon. "Where'd this thing come from?" The boy jumped back as Furiru hissed, tongue briefly poking from its toothed jaws before sliding back within the cavern.

Ryou turned and moved to pick up the creature with a faint smile. "This is Drazzle's true form, Yugi, he saved us from Kaiba Corp when it was attacked. Otherwise we would be dead right now…"

Malik came up besides him with a nod, "yeah, we owe him one."

"Owe me by finding your dark halves," he grunted back, glancing sharply with the radiating eyes straight at Yugi and Ryou who gave a gulp. "Come on both of you," it crooned, wings spreading open from their resting position and it hovered from the silver haired boy's arms, looking towards Marik and Joey. "I will take the hikaris with me, you two do what is needed until I find the other two."

"Is that…wise…?" Marik said aloud, though something in his voice sounded as if he trusted the being.

"I assure you it is."

"……………"

"They might as well go, love."

"Hai, I suppose you're right…"

The dragon didn't take even two seconds to emerge in his fully-sized form, literally sweeping the three lights up with its tail and setting them safely on its back.

************

Akki chuckled lightly, kicking Isis's form that had been laying unconsciously atop Seto who was sent in the same condition. The Shadow Realm was ever quiet, only a total of five humans within the realm's area. Only two were conscious and well. Those two being the blonde sisters: Akki and Akisame. 

"I'm so glad we came here instead of returning to that Mistress."

"Aye, Akki…Hn, did they actually think they had a chance of living? Why do so many monsters think that their 'stats' will be good enough?" Akisame murmured, eying the enter area, ashes still around from the earlier, destructive fire. Her eyes fell to Shadi, Isis, and Seto, all unmoving and yet alive. "Fools, come on sister, I suppose our master will want a report."

"Wait."

"Nani?"

"Let's take a prize back to him…" Akki gave a smirk, kneeling down and rolling Shadi to his back, pulling the leather string of the Ankh over his limp neck and setting it around her own, fiddling lightly with its gold surface. "Perfect. Let's go," Akki pivoted slightly to look where her back had been facing, voice calling out at one of the winged-creatures that had been seemingly picking their beaks through debris. "Kurama!"

The creature looked up, tail dancing along the ground as it gave a communicative hiss to its counterpart and the duo moved towards their masters calmly.

Akisame brushed a hand over the beak of her own, its neck incline lightly at the touch and the four move away from the fallen humans, preparing to exit the realm.

************

The former slave still stared at the two in their embrace that either refused to pull away from, as if they were daring one another to do so. Akiko shook her head and sighed. "Are we going to go find Ayane yet?"

Yami was the one to fail at keeping the embrace, pulling away and looking down at the short girl. "Hai, it seems we must…" His eyes glanced at Bakura, who gave a nod and was about to speak out, but something in his mind snapped that caused him to fall to his knees before it reconnected.

{Yami!}

Bakura glanced up in shock from where he knelt, not believing what he had just heard.

[A-Aibou…?]

{My god…it actually worked! Malik told Yugi and I while we started up on Furiru that he was able to use his connection with Marik again, so Yugi and I figured we would try our own and it actually worked! We're coming to find you both….demo….are both of you in the same place…..?}

[Hell yeah.] Bakura stood back up, looking to Yami a moment who seemed to be talking with his own hikari as well, leaving Akiko to stare in waiting with the two. [Yes, we are both in one place, use the ring to find us, we'll stay where we are. But first….who the heck is 'Furiru'…?]

{Oh! It's Drazzle!}

[The warped talking lizard with the frill?]

{Un! That's him, his true form is really a dragon, and he saved us!}

[Ryou…] The dark spirit shook his head with a light smile, glancing to the one besides him who must have finished talking with Yugi a moment afterwards. "Well, Akiko, we need to stay here, our hikaris are on their way to us with Ryou's ring locking onto Yami's puzzle."

"Wouldn't it be more safe to use _your_ ring…?" 

"Ayane is in possession of my Millennium Ring."

"Oh…."

************

"There!" Ryou called out, hand outstretched so greatly that he nearly fell from the safety of Furiru's back until Malik pulled him safe. "Arigatou, guess I got a little excited…"

"I don't really blame you. You haven't come to see your yami in quite some time now, huh?"

The silver haired hikari nodded as the dragon curved around to the ground, letting the three light sides down before recoiling to its minor sized form, sitting upon Yugi's head quietly. The three waiting others blinked to the arrivals and unconsciously, Ryou tackled against his dark half, separated the grip Bakura held with Yami. "A-Aibou…! Tame yourself!" The spirit growled, prying himself away of the strong clasp. 

"Demo… I didn't think I'd see you again…"

Bakura presented Ryou with an off smile, but one nevertheless. 

"Will we be leaving now?" Eyes shifted onto Akiko as the girl spoke out, blinking confusingly at her before she caught on and bowed her head apologetically. "Gomen nasai. My name is Akiko Mika."

There was a bit of silence as people registered the newly given information, some unsure what to say to it, but Yami stopped them from any sudden words as he reclaimed his spot besides Bakura. "Look, we're going back to find Ayane and…well, correct some things…I suppose its safer for you all to come as well. Something is happening to this world and I'd rather all of you not to get caught up in it."

Furiru gave a hiss and curled in the matt of Yugi's hair, knowing anything he'd say wouldn't be listened to anyway. So there was no point in trying to stop them. But he sure as hell wasn't going to be the transporter to this suicide mission, not as if it mattered how Yami easily pulled through. "OSIRIS!" 

The Saint Dragon uncoiled with a steam of red energy surrounding it, body lashing from its confining card and spinning up into the air while a shock of lightning crashed down from the air to engulf its body. He then settled back near after regaining some of its lacked energy, taken from him when they had been to Ayane's palace the first time. 

|| Hn….where to master…? ||

| Back up to Ayane's. | 

|| Are you serious…? ||

| Dead serious. | Yami's responds was hissed out slightly, though cold as his way to show that he was far from joking. The God seemed to sigh before allowing the six upon his narrow form before arising into the air at a decently fast pace.

*************

"Mistress, they're-"

"They're _what_?" Ayane turned to stand off her spot on the ground, tapered eyes glaring at Lenokei in minor aggravation. "And what do you mean by THEY?"

"They, as in the spirits with Osiris are returning…."

"Fools," she gave a scoff, hand trailing over the ring softly. "What happened with the girls with the Kurama?" It was their job to kill the spirits and get Yami's item, so how could what Lenokei say be true? Did they _fail _her?

"They never showed up again."

"Spiritual pests…" She growled and then turned to walk quite close towards her servant. "I want the Pharaoh at my feet. **_NOW_**!!"

He gulped and nodded, taking out two cards and grabbing one in which she tossed to him.

"These will only delay them…." 

"Not that one," she signaled to the one she gave him. "While your pathetic monsters distract them, that machine can grab the little royalty away from safety. Now go! I'm getting impatient with his death.."

"Hai, Mistress."

************

Lenokei stood out on a bridge, watching as his eyes sighted a red blur coming close, holding up two of three cards and releasing the spirits of a assembly of Dark Bats and the Wingweaver, muttering silently for them to engulf the approaching dragon. 

He smirked as they easily were torn apart by Osiris, though the fairy monster was being a bit more difficult for the jaws of the Saint Beast to break in half. Lenokei used the moment to throw the last card into the air as its glow ached through the dark atmosphere. "Cyber Falcon! You know what you need to do…" The machine monster shrieked, its speed of sound making impossible to see as it ripped through near Osiris, snatching up it prize greedily while the dragon still bit through the continuous flying Dark Bats. Not even noticing its master being gone until too late. 

The servant watched Yami fall besides him, recalling all three cards and moving them into his pocket before forcing Yami to stand, whispering into the willingly moving spirit's ear. "You have been summoned to attend the Mistress's presence."

"Good. That _is _after all, what I'm here for."

Lenokei seemed to blink at the answer and released Yami, beginning to walk in the direction he needed to and waited to see what the spirit would do. His surprise shown when Yami easily followed behind him, but continued on his way.

************

The monsters were gone and the five on the dragon uncovered their heads that had been being attacked by the bats. Bakura seemed to be the first to notice that Yami was indeed gone and snapped his voice out towards Osiris in question of where Yami was.

|| Master, what happened..? ||

| Seemed they knew we were coming. Sent something to grab me before I could do anything. You aren't that far away, when you land on the bridge go right so you are in a building, and then tell Bakura to go straight down the left hall. |

|| Hai. Stay safe, Master. ||

The dragon took a smooth landing, able to tell Bakura the information, not really sure how Bakura could understand him. But Yami must have known the Ring's spirit could. The card vanished in a glow of light, placing itself securely into Bakura's hand while the spirit led them down the path he was told of.

************

"You escaped me once, I will not allow it again," Ayane snorted, dismissing Lenokei from the room so it was just her and Yami.

"I've been told why you wish to kill me, and I assure you that you have the wrong information."

"And I _assure **you **_that you are wrong. I **still **to this day have bruises from you!"

"If you allow me, we can get out of this mess and find the answers you and I both seek, Ayane. We have a way to go to the past, than we can receive the truth!"

"I have no nature to believe you."

"Demo-"

"Maybe you're trying to believe the wrong person," Akiko voiced loudly, standing in the doorway with the other four standing behind her form. "I am the key to the past and I already know what happen to you, but not that I know the truth behind you. Yami never harmed you, and if you wish it to be proven than let us get on our way. Shall we?" 

Bakura stared at the girl blankly as they moved into the room. She had developed quite a strong voice to prove her points, and was even convincing through the process. Perhaps getting Ayane to come with them would be easier than it was thought out to be. 

Both former slaves stared at one another, Ayane looking down at Akiko in a panic before backing away. "I've seen you before.."

"Yes, indeed you have. I'm surprise you remember. But if you remember my face, than you know I wouldn't hurt or lie to you. I will say this though, the one known to be Rekanna has betrayed you from the beginning. She has to all but one, and that is the part of the truth that I'm unsure upon…. Come with us, Ayane…" Akiko's voice softened as the mistress knelt to see eye level with the child, looking passed to the others in a weary gaze. The child…she knew her for a short time in the past before the Pharaoh (or who she believes was her abuser) threw her away like a piece of garbage.

She trusted that girl.

"I…."

"What do you have to lose?" Malik stepped forth, the boy having not been seen by Ayane before. "You could always kill us if you must when we return. Going to the past will only clear up either your side of this, or Yami's. Whichever way, it helps you."

She blinked and stood, mouth opening weakly to respond. She was getting so tired of all this, Rekanna continuously pushed her too hard, was it true that the high-priestess had…betrayed her? _'Maybe it is time I try to prove my story or even…..' _Her thoughts paused to look up at an equally worried spirit, that being Yami. _'Even come to except his….'_

Her hand rose and she magically sealed the room, a tablet blocking off any entry to it. Her eyes stayed closed, confidence blaring as she stood in a calm position, eyes opened with a fiery gaze to the waiting group. "Alright then."

************  
"Where is she…" Rekanna murmured, finally finding Lenokei and with a growl, forced him against the wall. "Where is Ayane?!"

"D-down that way…with the Pharaoh…" He stuttered, not expecting that sort of approach from the female.

Rekanna grunted and threw aside the servant, her walk turning into a run as she came close to the closed off room, fists hitting against the tablet as she noticed an uncertain aura leaking from the door. Her mind froze upon realizing the start of a spell and she fell away from the door, eyes wide with horror. 

"Oh Ra no…..no……no….." She kicked the door in anger before turning her back to it, a dark glow under her feet as her arms crossed angrily over her torso. "How I hate to except **_this _**punishment for losing that girl…"

************

………..Should I have a comment? I'm tired. I want to go play Kingdom Hearts…. So I won't say much. If some parts were rushed, forgive me. I wanted to end the chapter o____O;; I'm sure you'll live anyway, but don't even **start **to question me on when I'll load chapter 20. (Squee! This ish my longest fiction yet!)

Note: Any spelling mistakes and such are results of me being lazy and not editing this chapter. 


	20. Kodaiejiputo

Kodaiejiputo- Ancient Egypt

Hehe, so I am lazy and slow. But I kept forgetting what I was doing! Then I read a great fiction called 'Matchmaker Millennium', it's in my favorite stories list, go check it out. It inspired me enough.

Notes:

Egyptian Seto = Seth 

Egyptian Yami = (Pharaoh) Yugioh 

Egyptian Bakura = Rekhi Bakura

Egyptian Marik = Tsuyoi Mariku

Shinkou, Akiko, Ayane, and Rekanna all have the same names! OO;; I'll try to keep it simple.

Verrryyy odd chappy with a new pairing (easily noticed when it comes that way) that exists in the past, lol. I had some fun with Rekhi too, so don't hurt me oO;; 

"Road? Where're we're going we don't need _roads_." -Doc: _Back to the Future_

************

"Where are they, Rekanna?"

"Gone, sir."

"Impossible."

"I…..they…." the Egyptian stared into the darkness, trying not to fidget. "They used that rotten slave and went to Ancient Egypt. ….Ayane is with them."

"_What_?"

"She's with them, sir."

"You know what this means….."

She gulped, backing away slightly as something seemed to move in the darkness of the unknown chamber, set apart from the realms into its own. "H-Hai…"

"Your soul is mine…." There was a deep cackle and a stream of energy burst from the darkness and pushed through Rekanna's heart and dragged out slowly a small orb. Her body fell lifelessly to the ground, the orb being carried back into the darkness. "At least she wasn't fully useless. Now where are those two kids I had sent for…" 

************

Akiko was the last one out of the room, a spell having spread the width of it until no one was left. Not one speck of anyone remained, all being transferred away to another time period, one of the ancient past. 

************

"Ow…..dammit…..what did I land on…..?" 

"_Me_, you idiot…"

Yami glanced down at Bakura who was pressed against the cold stone beneath. He blushed lightly before standing, and helping the other up, glancing around and gulping when he saw no one else around. _We must have been separated….that's no surprise. _Yami sighed and shook his head, starting when he felt torn from where he stood and pulled roughly into the shadows. 

"Bakura what the hell a-"

"Shut up!!" Bakura hushed in warning, a tone that was meant not to be messed with. He pulled Yami close to him, a hand pressed over the other's mouth as he backed into a corner, not making any other movement when he heard footsteps. He cringed in slight pain as he felt Yami bite his hand and pulled it back, even in the dark of the corner, Bakura had a strong glare set on the other. "What was that for…?"

"I couldn't _breath_, and what's with this all of a sudden?!"

"I told you to keep quiet! Unless you want to be thrown into a cell by _yourself_."

"What's that supposed - to mean…." Yami hardly finished as he looked out of the shadows, a form crossing his sight, draped in a classy robe and golden jewelry that only was fit for one person to wear. 

"Seth how many times must I tell you?! I need a carriage by the end of the week and yet still I have nothing! How hard is it to get a simple means of travel such as that?" The form turned to glare at the high priest that stood silently yet irritated. "Answer me."

"The owner of who supplies the regular carriages has been found to be the one who had burnt your custom one. You locked him away, remember? His assistant in charge is being rather…difficult now."

"Hn, well why don't you simply make him see otherwise?!"

"Hai, Pharaoh," Seth muttered grudgingly as he bowed, pivoting on his heels and exiting the room as the Pharaoh took to follow. 

"Man, I forgot how 'snippish' you were as a pharaoh."

"Do you want me to bite your hand again?" Yami tried to sound fierce, but his voice merely came out as a pout and he sunk against Bakura's grasp. "So not only do we have to find the others….but I'm guessing it would be a good idea to avoid….ourselves."

"It would be a humorous matter to try and make conversation with myself."

"Bakura!"

"What?" The silver haired gave a laugh before moving out of the corner, moving with Yami in tow. "We didn't take Marik with us, meaning we can have some fu - I mean get help!" _Hopefully he'll be of some use._

"Bakura this is a BAD idea!" Yami shouted back as he felt himself be dragged down the hall. 

"What else is new?"

************

"Hello….?" Yugi stood on the steps of a small building held up by four thick columns, it's appearance showing it was some sort of temple. "Where is everyone…?" He sighed, shaking his head and entering a bit uneasy into the temple. He blinked as a person, probably around the age of sixteen, knelt in black robes in the center of the room, whatever lighting was used began to go dim suddenly and caused Yugi to gulp. _What did I step in on….? _

A solid stone door closed behind him, leaving Yugi and this other form in candlelight (which wasn't much as it was). The hikari eeped, feeling something poke against his hand and looked down to see a lightly yellow glowing creature at his feet. Small wings and a spiked tail poked out if the petite body and the creature was immediately recognized. "A…..Baby Dragon…"

"Who's there?" Yugi jumped again as the form in the center moved to stand, another being having moved slightly and could be heard in the darkness where no candles were. All that could be seen of it were two red, slit shaped eyes. 

"S-Shinkou…?"

  
"What did you call me…?"

__

No, that can't be him! But he's the one who took me from the Shadow Realm and brought me to Ayane….it….can't be the same person…

"Never mind…I'll….leave…"

"Wait! You can't go out there!"

"Why not?" Yugi blinked, staring oddly as the opposing boy moved closer towards him.

"Dansas, come over here," he murmured and the Baby Dragon gave Yugi a quick look before moving back towards the other. "There are Shadow Games starting up again. It's not safe, and it looks like you're clueless. You'll…..you'll be killed!"

"I…thanks for the warning…." 

The red eyes in the back blinked slowly and the unseen being shifted slightly as there was a groan of pain. 

"Shhh, Red, relax, I don't think this boy will hurt us…"

"What's back there…?"

"My Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

************

"I call summons to the Succubus Knight!" A femme voice echoed, hand directed towards her opponent as a dark glow formed first following outwards with the dark, six armed warrior. 

"I command you both at once by orders of the Pharaoh to end this game at this instant!"

"Aw, shut the hell up, dammit!" Rekhi sneered, his silvery strands flowing out. It wasn't every day that the tomb-robber had taken a Shadow Game into the open streets, and he wasn't about to be interrupted by a guard. "You don't impress anyone waving about with your little 'orders'! Flame Cerebrus, arise and destroy this woman's nuisance of a warrior!" There was merely a flash of orange, three heads and dual claws clashed out at the knight, tearing it to pieces as the Shadow Realm's energy scooped up both monsters, showing the ending of the easy game.

Rekhi flipped back his hair, tossing his slated color hood back over his head and gave a laugh, passing by the female who now lay on the ground and ran by the guard trying to stop them. "My, my, what a lovely day it 'tis. Why not enjoy it instead of wasting precious time on someone you will never catch?"

"Elite guards, seize this _clown _of the streets!" The guard hissed, lunging for Rekhi who easily stepped aside. 

"Is that the best you can do? Come now! A guard of **your **standards, can't catch a lowly being like me?" He chuckled and the anger rose in the guard's eyes.

"ELITE GUARDS! By order of-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the drill!" Rekhi mocked, doing a small dance around the only guard with a deadly tone of a leered voice. "Oooohhhh Elite guards! By the order of the all-so-mighty _Pharaoh_, seize this _foul _beast and put him to missseerrryyyy!"

The guard jumped at him again, but the thief flung himself back and stood upon a crate, "giggling" in a false voice before turning serious. Or as much as he could be. "Oh, you know of that tomb that holds one of the previous Pharaohs? Not the last dead one, but before that. The tomb said to be that no one can ever pass the **powerful** security force? Well, heh, I did!" One of his hands reached back and pulled something from a leather belt and wavered the rolled up parchment out before him. "See? This wonderful spell scroll was found by the _carcass _of that simpleton! Want to guess what it does….?" He edged on, but not one responded as guards were entering from randomized directions and sidling closer towards him. 

Rekhi gave a flighty laugh and tossed the scroll at the main guard. "Doesn't matter, I know the spell good enough to do without that lame scrap paper! Practice makes perfect, eh, eh…?" 

"What are you planning, thief…."

"Now cheer up that tone!"

"We have you surrounded…"

"You **always **have me surrounded!" Rekhi shrugged and held out both his arms, his eyes flashing with delight. "I call upon the darkness of fiends to grant me the idol being of a deceased! Let me take rule of the Pharaoh's servant and walk among the world once again!" The ground below him darkened a bit, causing the useless guard to pull away and signal the others and Egyptian citizens to move from the crazed boy. "Awaken again! Dark Necrofear!" The blue faced female rose from the power of darkness, enveloped in an unusual armor outfit as she lashed out, arm piercing through the guard and instantly killing him. "Who's up for some fireworks?" 

The monster looked towards him, intrigued by his sense of style and he cackled lightly. "Oh yes, I do believe we need another in the streets. I need to _crank_ up the heat." The Dark Necrofear nodded as a responds and slaughtered another guard that had moved to help the fallen one. She held up her arm and licked the blood off that dripped down it, finding the human blood intriguing before jumping up on a building as Rekhi began to work on summoning a second monster from his extent of shadow energy. "Darkfire Dragon, time to hear screams…" 

************

Yami and Bakura had dove into a random room when they noticed Seth and Pharaoh Yugioh had stopped in the hall. Indeed the spirits were following the two, and only one room was open for them to slip into. The room which Yami had a belated realization that it was **HIS **room. When Bakura heard those words the two dived behind the bed afterwards, both having different reasons. 

"What if they come in here?!"

"Hush, Yami, I heard something from the window."

"Really?"

"Shhhhh!"

They both peeked over the bed's surface at the window and Yami's eyes widened when he saw who entered in with calm ease. Bakura had to shove the other on the floor to keep Yami from shouting curses. "Why is Marik in my room?!"

"Will you SHUSH!" Bakura managed quietly. "Besides he's not even called that in this time. You have a horrible memory."

"I don't care WHAT he's called! He's in **my **room!!"

Bakura forced the other quiet as he tried to listen of the opposing thief.

"Pshh! Pharaoh!"

************

Yugioh glanced behind him towards his room, knowing the voice with ease but was grateful the form couldn't be seen. With Seth busy going over a spell, the Pharaoh backed up slightly and met the voice with his own deep one. "What?"

"I might suggest you check out on the streets, it's getting violently over run with shadow energy. I'm sure Seth and a Blue Eyes could handle it…"

The Pharaoh nodded a bit before moving towards the High-Priest and snapping his fingers in front of the other's face. "I sense trouble in the streets. There's much I still must do here to prepare for the upcoming traveling, will you go aid the guards in the streets?"

"Hai, Pharaoh," Seth rolled his eyes, hating to have to be sent into the streets. But he's learned to not oppose the other when he was calm….it only worked when the Pharaoh was frustrated.

************

The two spirits blinked as the ancient form of "Marik" had backed up from the doorway when the Pharaoh entered. Yami gave an odd blink when his old self wasn't readying to kill the other. _He should be dead by now… _Yami's eyes quickly widened from where he watched and felt Bakura tense when the scene before them quickly changed. 

"Tsuyoi…" Yugioh sighed in a relaxed tone, having been pushed up against a near wall by the thief. The Pharaoh nuzzled against the other's cheek before Tsuyoi forced his lips against those of the ruler. Yugioh made a willing sound, encircling his arms around the other to pull him flush in wanting need to deepen what was already in the process. Tsuyoi smiled in his natural dark sense and pulled away to the Pharaoh's dislike, but silenced the other again when he tilted his mouth forward and began nibbling and toying with an earlobe.

"You had an **affair **with him?!" Bakura hissed quietly, trying to ignore the soft mews from behind them and tore his eyes from the scene and pinned Yami to the ground from where they were unseen besides the bed. "You were doing…..doing **_that _**to him while I was - oh…" Bakura fell quiet, eyes closed and he sunk away from Yami, leaning against the bed. 

"I don't even remember….it's…..I…."

"Shush," Bakura whispered, placing a finger onto Yami's lips. "I'll kill you later."

"B-Bakura…"

He shook his head and sighed, mind drifting a bit. "We're in a jam, Yami. I may not remember the exact happenings of what occurred with Ayane and such, but I do know what's going on now and it's probably a week or so away from where we want to be."

"How do you know…..?" Yami whispered, still uneasy and the fact that he heard a **thud** from the other side of the room was quite unsettling. 

"Because Seth is going to stop 'me' from setting half the market on fire." _So Mariku snitched out on me…..that's the only reason I was caught…._

************

Fire danced around small carts and into the street halfway down the market, making horrorstruck people running away from the massacre to somewhere safe. And with not even the Pharaoh showing up, only his useless guards, stood around to try and tackle Rekhi. 

The Darkfire Dragon let out a steaming hiss when it launched two more glowering spheres into a building, not even watching it become engulfed by flame and it started for the next nearest one. Rekhi jumped from his crate and nearly hit the flames, though the Dark Necrofear was able to stop him from falling into it - though now there was a bloody stain on the back of robe. He dismissed the monster quickly back to the Shadow Realm as he scrambled into a stand, watching a large bolting sphere cut through the flames and hit against his dragon, the creature falling to ashes before being taken back into the other realm. 

"**Rekhi Bakura**, you've gone far enough with your little _stunt_!"

"Oh shit…" The thief mumbled as he realized what exactly had attacked his dragon. It only meant that when there was a Blue-Eyes….there would be a certain High Priest in tow. 

"Bakura! I mean - Rekhi, over here!" 

He glanced at the voice, searching through the flame and seeing a form in an alleyway waving out to him. He made a quick dive, jumping into it and running to the back away from the fire and looked at the form when he caught his breath. "Akiko? What are you doing out of the palace?!"

"I'll have to explain later, I'm not _exactly _the Akiko you know…"

"Then who are you, imposter?!"

"Relax, calm down, Rekhi! I'm - well I'm from the future!" _And I made a bit of an error on timing which part of the past I dropped everyone into….I hope everyone's safe. _"And I know you don't want to let Seth take you, but you HAVE to! Or you'll be killed, and that would be bad…"

"So you're like my guardian angel or something?"

"Uhh…..**yeah**!"

Rekhi scoffed, folding his arms and staring down at her. "I don't believe in angels."

"OH JUST GO!" She snapped, shoving Rekhi back into the streets and right into the High Priest's grasp. 

"Well look who stumbled in just in time for the party. Come on little street rat, we can't have you running around loose anymore. We have a new cell all ready for you as well…" Seth chuckled as he dragged the struggling boy towards his Blue-Eyes, wavering his staff out and recalling the beast, moving for the palace. Akiko made sure none of the guards who were putting out the fire had seen her as she followed after. _Maybe some of the others are in the palace….oh well….I have to make sure Rekhi will be ok….the other me doesn't know about his new chamber…._

************

"Ryou we were nearly burnt to a crisp by your yami!" Malik complained as the two ran from the city towards the main water source. Ryou took a stumble and nearly fell into the water of the Nile, but held himself back and dunked his head in. 

"I know, I know, but that was definitely him from the past! I never thought **he **would be a pyro…"

"Hn….well maybe we can snoop…." Malik smirked a bit and stretched out on the sand, laying on his back and letting his hair slip into the water. 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well you always said when he was first released from the ring, he was a complete bastard. Maybe we can find out why, ne?"

"Malik, Bakura won't be happy about this…."

"Aw come on, it can't be that bad. I'm sure he'll be out of the palace in record breaking time, then we can follow him and figure out what goes through his head. Doesn't that s-" He was cut off when Ryou moved to sit on top of him. 

"No, Malik," he spoke firmly, starting to move away, but Malik snatched him to stop. "What?" The soft tone had returned and he stared down at the opposing hikari in a bit of surprise. 

"Then let's spend the night out here, it's safe."

"O…..k…"

************

"Ohhhh master!" A femme voice rang through the dark chamber. Akki and Akisame swept in, both giving an odd glance to Rekanna's lifeless form yet said nothing. "We have joyful news!"

"What is it, fools?" The voice hissed out, yellow eyes opening as the only sign that he was waiting in the dark. 

"We were having a wonderful walk through the Shadow Realm and stumbled across a few unconscious humans! And managed to swipe this," Akki giggled, tossing the Millennium Ankh towards her hidden master, watching it fall into an outlined claw before it was tucked away. 

"Very good, that will prove nicely to have another collected form….but where are the siblings I ordered for?!"

Akisame stepped forward with calm ease. "The girl is on her way, but the male was never apprehended. He….your servant for retrieving him was killed. Shall we go for the boy ourselves?" There was a growl and Akki stepped up by her sister, waiting for an order as the being tried to make a decision. There was a short glow before out of the darkness stepped "Shadi," but yellow eyes told difference. 

"No. Stay here and wait for the girl. Make sure you prepare her to my liking of the ritual….**_I_** will retrieve the boy myself." A smirk curved over his tanned lips, a set of dark, crow like wings pulling into the body as if they were never there. The yellow eyes blinked away, making his form look exactly like Shadi, the Ankh resting around his neck. "I don't want my plans messed up anymore. If you fail, you will see _her _fate," he threw a glance towards Rekanna and the two nodded as he made an exit, a mist being the substance left as he was gone. 

************

I managed to type this in two days, heh. Donno if some of you can make much sense of it all yet, this chappy was mainly an introduce of most of the past people, though I left out BOTH Ayane's, sort of on purpose. As you can tell Rekhi is a bit…destructive. But I'm happy ^^ I managed to stick Clashshipping in the story and keep the Darkshipping ^^. Clashshipping is Yami/Marik (though in this it's really Yugioh/Tsuyoi) and Darkshipping is Yami/Bakura. The "**thud**" was a mystery, thick what you want with those two….lol. 

And I had promised you an intro to the "main evil" in the story which the beginning and the end was the best I could do without giving away too much. I'll let you know that the "siblings" count as Serenity and Joey. But that's all I'm saying about them ^^ 

The Egyptian Shinkou is a lot more nicer than his present day self, though is also a bit shaky. But he has his Red-Eyes ^^ and a Baby Dragon….but that's besides the point…

What else….I'm trying to type as much as I can because my computer is "sick" right now and after my spring break is over, it's being taken into the shop. 


End file.
